Celebrity Lady - Chapter 109

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Celebrity Lady
Episode 109
* * *
“Now I could buy pretty bags for Mother… go eat delicious food together… visit lovely places… but…”
“Mother’s… Mother’s not here, so… it hurts a little.”
After parting with Rubetria, the image of Lark haunted him—that childlike sobbing that wouldn’t fade from his mind.
“Your Highness.”
Lark’s gaze, lost in thought, shifted to the figure seated before him.
A middle-aged man with a grave expression for some reason.
His name was Delmann Obrue.
Head of the venerable physician house Obrue, and the current Emperor’s—and Lark’s—personal physician.
“I’ll state my conclusion first.”
His voice carried a note of anger.
“This was a patient who could have absolutely survived. The prescriptions were clearly malicious—she was deliberately brought to death.”
“Ah.”
Lenn, standing beside Lark, gasped in surprise, covering his mouth.
“I see.”
Lark’s voice was flat as he spoke, his eyes closing slowly. He was barely containing his fury now.
Delmann slid several thick sheaves of documents across the table.
Medical records of someone.
“If you look here, the physician prescribed a substance called Kalip to the patient after childbirth. Kalip, an anesthetic-class medicine, is used to dull postpartum pain. It’s inexpensive, so commoner women typically receive this prescription.”
……
“But if resources allow, they use Arphin instead—a more expensive medicine. Arphin has no side effects.”
“So the medicine given to this patient could cause adverse effects?”
“Yes. Kalip places considerable strain on the body. Prolonged use causes the entire body to stiffen and movement becomes difficult.”
Delmann gestured toward the medical record, adding:
“This patient, who was prescribed Kalip for postpartum pain, experienced precisely that.”
……
“Even when Kalip is prescribed in place of Arphin, patients are never made to take it continuously for an entire month like this.”
Lark gazed silently at the medical record Delmann indicated, his face expressionless.
“Through these prescriptions, the patient was made to appear, quite cunningly, as though her body had simply weakened from childbirth.”
……
“Furthermore, every subsequent medicine prescribed for treatment was, I believe, maliciously manufactured.”
Delmann added firmly:
“In principle, these are medicines that could be used, but had I been the physician, I would never have prescribed such a regimen given the patient’s condition.”
“I see.”
“Looking at the patient’s… name.”
Delmann hesitated before continuing:
“…it doesn’t seem to be a house that couldn’t afford Arphin.”
The deceased patient’s name was Rona Diolus.
The former Duchess of House Diolus, who had passed away twelve years prior.
After giving birth to her youngest daughter, she had suffered postpartum pain and her health declined rapidly, leading to her death four years later—or so the record stood.
“The physician didn’t make such prescriptions from incompetence. Quite the opposite—he was extraordinarily skilled. Without me, even if other physicians were to scrutinize these records, they couldn’t have detected the irregularities…”
Delmann trailed off before asking:
“But Your Highness, medical records shouldn’t be accessible to you privately, no matter your rank.”
At his question, Lark paused in recollection.
“Duke Diolus. I’d like to see the medical records of the previous Duke and Duchess Diolus, and of your late mother.”
The Duke Diolus, Biego, produced the medical records without asking Lark any questions.
“Won’t you ask? Why I’m requesting this?”
“You ask because you need to, Your Highness.”
Beneath Biego’s measured, heavy gaze lay a distinct undercurrent of suspicion.
Lark was satisfied.
“Yes. It seems our Duke is finally beginning to see the shape of things.”
……
“The fact that I requested these medical records from the Duke means—”
“Rest assured. Only I shall know of it.”
Recalling his exchange with Biego, Lark waved a hand reassuringly.
“I obtained them with the Duke’s permission. Don’t worry.”
Delmann nodded, then added with great fervor:
“Your Highness, this man abandoned his pride as a physician. I can sufficiently prove his malicious prescriptions. Have him brought to trial at once.”
“No. That would be far too lenient.”
As Lark spoke with a cutting edge, Delmann nodded in understanding.
“Your Highness always judges rightly, so I won’t press further. Call upon me again should you need anything.”
“Yes, thank you.”
After Delmann left, silence fell.
[Personal Physician: Benjamin Hermann]
Benjamin Hermann, now fifty-six, still served as the physician to House Diolus—a man so skilled in his youth that he was openly called a genius.
He had been the finest choice a high-ranking ducal house like Diolus could select for their patients.
Crunch.
His name crumpled beneath Lark’s grip.
“Mother’s… Mother’s not here…”
That soft, dampened voice echoed again in his mind.
“L-Lark…”
Though Lark’s face remained expressionless, Lenn, who had spent long years beside him, felt it unmistakably.
He was in a rage unlike any he’d known—as if the very air around them had frozen solid.
Gulp.
Lenn swallowed dryly before asking:
“Shall we take him?”
“Yes.”
“We could make it look like he ran into bandits on his way home, bad luck. Disappear him, stage it as a death without anyone knowing he was taken—”
“Yes. Do it.”
Lenn glanced at Lark’s expression before adding eagerly:
“I could just—break an arm or a leg clean off!”
“No.”
Lark’s voice turned sharp.
“Bring him to me without a single mark. Whole.”
A man who had lost years to his wife’s death. A daughter who had suffered undeserved scorn because of her mother’s passing.
A shattered family. Long-harbored misunderstandings…
“There are others who should wield the blade.”
Lark’s eyes flashed.
* * *
Mid-November, in Decarn, the imperial capital.
The Roland Troupe’s new production, Romeo and Juliet, one week after its triumphant opening.
Already surpassing two thousand cumulative spectators, the momentum showed no signs of waning.
Two men chatted outside the theater, which bustled with audiences despite the growing chill of the season.
“Is it really true the Emperor is coming today? So Romeo and Juliet must actually be amazing?”
“So they say. The play itself is wonderful, but today’s the real treat. When would we common folk ever see the Emperor’s face this close?”
And… within the quiet theater.
The audience seats still empty.
Lark and Rubetria occupied two adjacent seats in the front row of the VIP section.
“Did you really need to go this far?”
Lark spoke, stealing glances at Rubetria’s profile.
“Go this far… what?”
Rubetria tilted her head with a quizzical expression, her hands gently adjusting her elegantly pinned-up hair.
With her radiant makeup, sophisticated shawl dress, and high heels, Rubetria had plainly spared no effort with her appearance today.
Lark stared at her for a moment in a daze, then turned away with a soft cough.
“…because you’re too beautiful.”
“Is it… a little alright?”
“Very alright.”
“Haha, thank goodness.”
After the play ended today, Rubetria had planned to visit the Imperial Palace—not as herself, but as Madam Ruby.
Though no one yet knew the two were the same person.
“You asked for help with promotion, but I never expected you’d actually invite the Emperor himself.”
“This is what real promotion looks like.”
At Lark’s satisfied tone, Rubetria chuckled.
Her schedule for today went like this:
Watch the play with the Emperor and Empress, Madam Endleton, and the Crown Prince, then go to the Imperial Palace, reveal her identity, and share a meal together!
“But Your Highness…”
“Hmm?”
“Do you think the Emperor might be somewhat displeased that a noblewoman is conducting business?”
“Are there not plenty of nobles involved in commerce?”
Lark pressed his lips together.
“The Emperor I know won’t make much of it. He’ll find it quite surprising, certainly, but he’s far less bound by aristocratism than you’d think.”
“Really?”
“Yes. Even when he was deeply involved in state affairs, he worked to blur the boundaries between nobles and commoners. He encouraged merchant activities among ordinary people greatly. I learned and grew up with similar values.”
“Hmm, I see.”
“Since I knew he was lenient about such matters, I predicted he’d overlook my promoting the perfume shop without too much fuss.”
Lark laughed softly, lightly touching the tip of Rubetria’s nose as he spoke.
“Anyway, don’t worry. He’ll likely find you admirable instead.”
“Yes.”
Rubetria nodded, her worry somewhat eased, then reached for the bouquet she’d set beside her.
“I’m going to visit the actors’ waiting room before the play starts. Since I’ll need to leave for the Palace right after it ends, I won’t have time to see Sera separately.”
* * *
“We have to cancel. Right now.”
“Yes, there’s no choice.”
The actors paced nervously, troubled expressions on their faces.
“We can’t… anything but that.”
Sera Wigo muttered weakly from among them.
“How am I supposed to take the stage in this condition?”
Heron, who played Romeo, pressed his forehead wearily with his hand.
Just one hour before the performance.
A problem had arisen.
Sera, who played Juliet, was in terrible condition.
“I can do it. No—I have to.”
Even as she said this, Sera swayed, her vision spinning.
“Hey!”
A startled Heron caught her.
Ever since the triumphant opening, Sera had thrown herself into rehearsals day and night.
Romeo and Juliet was rapidly catching up to The Death of Helga, the troupe’s highest-grossing work, and showed signs of becoming the new flagship production—so she had no choice but to push herself harder.
With no understudy to share the burden, Sera performing alone meant strain on her already fragile frame before opening was inevitable.
“Today’s the day the lady is coming to see the play…”
Forcing strength into her legs, Sera thought of Rubetria.
“I’m so happy. My heart’s racing just thinking about it—that the lady will see my Juliet performance…”
Rubetria—Sera’s once-in-a-lifetime benefactor.
She wanted to repay that debt by delivering the finest performance. That’s why she’d made even more grueling efforts than usual.
“This is really bad. We have Imperial House guests coming today, too.”
The director, script in hand, spoke with obvious distress, and Sera clenched her lips.
Right—it wasn’t just Rubetria. Today Rubetria had brought no less than the Emperor and Empress, heavyweight patrons.
Any other day would’ve been fine, but today the play absolutely could not be cancelled.
“No, Director. I can do this. I have to take that stage.”
Sera, clutching her throbbing head, took a step forward—and her body immediately swayed.
“Sera!”
“Are you alright?”
The director, watching Sera’s condition with concern, shook his head.
“No. If you collapse on stage, it’ll be impossible to manage. We’ll close until you recover. I’ll inform the audience.”
“No, Director!”
That was when.
The waiting room door swung open with a creak, and someone peeked through.
“Sera~”
Rubetria appeared, holding a magnificent bouquet, her appearance immaculate.
“Huh? Why is everyone—”
Spotting Sera being supported, Rubetria’s expression changed.
“Sera! What’s wrong?”
Rubetria rushed to Sera’s side, her face turning pale as she examined her.
“Why are you like this? What happened?”
“Lady, it’s just that Sera—”
Heron, about to speak awkwardly, suddenly fell silent.
“Huh…?”
Heron’s eyes had widened dramatically.
For some reason, he couldn’t take his gaze off Rubetria.
What’s going on? Frustrated, Rubetria turned to the director.
“Why are you all like this? Is Sera not feeling well?”
“Uh… uh…?”
Even the director seemed odd, simply staring at Rubetria.
Have they all lost their minds? Rubetria frowned, glancing around at the other actors.
Everyone wore the same expression.
Gazing at her as if enchanted…
Alarmed, Rubetria turned back to Sera—
‘…?’
She too blinked wide eyes against her pale face.
“Lady!”
Sera suddenly seized Rubetria’s hand. An ominous feeling made Rubetria stumble back.
“Why… why…?”

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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