I Opened an Illegal Animal Hospital in Another World - Chapter 144

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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144

Medical Chart 8. A Place to Belong (2)

“Then what should we do….”

“If we get caught up in their provocations and cause a commotion, we’d be doing exactly what they want. It’s better to do what they hate most.”

“And what’s that?”

Shana used a kind tone as if teaching letters to a child. As if coaxing and soothing a younger sibling.

Ian had always found this aspect of her puzzling.

As the only daughter of the Wentworth Family, raised surrounded by doting parents and people who cherished her dearly, Shana was remarkably skilled at dealing with those beneath her.

She was adept at caring for others and giving love.

Like an older sister or brother who had long cared for younger siblings….

‘But that can’t be right?’

Shana was actually the youngest among them. Still, what bothered Ian was the feeling that Shana sometimes treated even him like a younger brother.

“What the Apothecary Guild hates and fears most is us actively doing business, right?”

“Business…. that sounds a bit off.”

Leon pointed this out with a grimace. Shana cleanly ignored him.

“Originally, I had my own circumstances and there were parts that would be troublesome if discovered, so I couldn’t actively promote us, but now we have! Maria!”

“Huh?”

Why Maria all of a sudden?

“We’ve secured a legitimate healer!”

“Woooooh!”

“We’ll mass-produce potions and officially register with the Mercenary Guild!! Goodbye illegal life!”

“Wooooooooh!”

“From now on, recommend us to friends, relatives, siblings, everyone! Let’s secure customers! Let’s! Get! Rich!”

“Patients!”

“Let’s make them!”

“Let’s bring them in!”

“Woooooh!”

This doesn’t seem right….

Given their line of work, what they needed to secure for their goal of “success!” had become patients. Ian could bet his sword that these cheering people would be going around beating people up as soon as dawn broke.

Since beastfolk got into fights just by walking the streets without hiding their identity, they could secure ‘customers’ without actively seeking out fights.

A plan was instantly formed to take responsibility and bring them to the hospital to swindle them, no, to charge them slightly higher fees and empty their pockets.

Renate clicked his tongue.

“Really, they have no idea what those guys will do.”

“Leave them be. The kids won’t cross the line.”

“Who’s going to clean up the mess?”

“…We will, I suppose. Well, they’re just excited, that’s why they’re acting like this.”

Ron shook his head. Ian chimed in too.

“I’ll patrol with you starting tomorrow, Renate.”

“…Alright.”

Renate let out a deep sigh. He only backed down this much when it came to matters involving Shana. If the person in the center of that crowd wasn’t Shana, Renate would have already taken action.

But with that cold expression on his face, Renate couldn’t say a single harsh word to Shana.

He found her so adorable he didn’t know what to do with himself.

Ian used to be afraid of Renate when he was young.

An S-rank mercenary and a strong warrior, a rare white-furred wolf beastman.

His mysteriously glowing violet eyes and beauty that would captivate anyone, along with his cold and taciturn nature, made him an object of admiration. He was perfect as an idol for a young aspiring knight.

Moreover, Renate was a leader who, together with Ron, led the Gray Wolf Clan and several groups of the Capital’s beastfolk.

How could he look any cooler than this? Ian was sincere about this.

Furthermore, outwardly, Renate didn’t seem to change much even in front of Shana.

His way of speaking remained blunt, and his behavior didn’t particularly change.

Compared to the Wentworth Couple who would dramatically embrace Shana, or the nannies who showered her with praise that made listeners embarrassed, or his own father, Renate was very composed.

The twins also had sister complexes that could compete anywhere, so how impressive that cold demeanor must have seemed.

In reality, it was an embarrassing standard of “Amazing that he doesn’t crumble even in front of our Shana!” but still….

Back then, Ian had genuinely admired that aspect. How can he stay normal even in front of my adorable younger sister? So there are adults like that…!

‘It didn’t take long to realize that wasn’t the case.’

When Shana was toddling around, he watched quietly because she was so small and fragile that he was afraid she’d get hurt if he touched her.

He waited for Shana to come to him because he worried that if he moved first, Shana might not come to him.

When Shana smiled, he only smiled briefly because that was his best effort at expression.

In truth, Renate found Shana so adorable he didn’t know what to do with himself.

How adorable, waddling around like that. I could die from the cuteness.

If I move now, she’ll lose her destination and be disappointed.

She’s so cute I can’t help but smile…

These were the thoughts he was having with an expressionless face.

Moreover, for Renate, Shana was proof of a miracle. He had once mentioned in passing that she was nothing less than evidence that the world, that God, had not forgotten to make arrangements for the beastfolk.

‘Even when he tries to act sophisticated, he just can’t stand how cute she is…’

Even though Ian had learned that Renate, who seemed so cool, was actually no different from the adults around him, his admiration remained unchanged.

Still, the fact remained that among the adults around him, Renate was the one who revealed his inner thoughts the least, and even when he found things adorable, he maintained his dignity to some extent.

Since even Ian, who continued his thoughts rationally, was actually one of those people who couldn’t bear how cute Shana was, he had never even considered the possibility that Renate wouldn’t find Shana adorable.

That would be impossible.

That would be like saying all the seas would dry up and the sky would collapse. It was something that could never happen.

Nevertheless, Ian still firmly believed that he was rational.

Then Raven tapped Ian’s shoulder.

“Ian, I’ll handle that.”

“…Yes, understood.”

“You don’t need to worry about it. I won’t cause any commotion.”

“…Of course you wouldn’t. I know.”

Really, of course he wouldn’t.

The ‘that’ Raven mentioned quietly was the main culprit who had caused the disturbance. He would have noticed from the conversation that this man had also picked a fight with Shana during the day, and now that he’d been caught, it would be hard for him to remain unharmed.

There were two ways to avoid being caught by Shana.

Either don’t do it, or don’t get caught.

Raven was a person of excellent capability. He would handle the matter flawlessly as he had declared. Ian had disliked Raven quite a bit since childhood, and that remained the same now.

Even after glimpsing his sincerity toward Shana, what Ian found distasteful was his essence.

That person’s essence of placing all ‘good’ and ‘standards’ on just one single exception.

Ian truly pitied Shana for a moment, thinking she had been marked by such a troublesome person.

While Shana might think she had become free after shedding her princess status, Ian was certain that if she just changed her mind, Raven wouldn’t care about any other obstacles.

While seducing, persuading, and being patient.

He would build an environment where he could do everything as he pleased.

Still, the one thing Raven couldn’t control was Shana’s heart. He was putting in sincere effort, enough to make her conscious of him while enduring an 11-year gap.

Raven spoke to Shana.

“Shana.”

“Hm? Raven. Are you leaving?”

“Would you like me to leave quickly?”

Shana blinked twice quietly. She seemed to be pondering whether she should speak her true feelings or choose her words carefully.

Her pondering ended quickly.

“I’m very happy and glad that you came, but.”

“You don’t need to say what comes after.”

“Honestly, since you won’t hang out with us anyway, it’s a bit uncomfortable…”

“I said you don’t need to say it.”

“You’re the one who asked first…”

Shana grumbled without hiding her annoyed expression.

Ian unconsciously checked Raven’s complexion. Surprisingly, Raven showed no sign of displeasure at all, and was actually smiling as if quite amused.

That Raven, of all people.

“You don’t need to be so honest, do you? I’m hurt.”

“Liar.”

“I’m serious.”

“You sometimes pretend to be really sensitive.”

“I’m hurt by your words.”

“You’ve been a troublemaker who treated people like objects since way back, so what.””

Shana snorted dismissively.

‘So describing that Raven, the Prince, with the cute word “troublemaker” is abnormal to begin with…’

Looking at it closely, wasn’t Shana the most abnormal one?

Shana sometimes seemed like she had no thoughts at all.

Ian had known Shana since he was very young, but apart from her being cute and precious, there were times when her personality was hard to understand.

Shana had a tendency to think very lightly of significant matters.

She seemed to feel neither responsibility as Wentworth’s heir nor burden as the only beastfolk healer. She brushed everything off as if it were nothing.

‘Well, if she hadn’t been like that, she might have been crushed by that weight long ago.’

The overwhelming presence of remarkable parents, the overprotection and restraints that were like imprisonment.

Even Evelyn’s heavy blind devotion.

The obsession and possessiveness of Raven, her fiancé and benefactor.

The weight of being the only existence that Renate had told her about.

‘…This isn’t normal…’

Ian came to realize anew the weight of the role that Shana was carrying out as if it were nothing. She showed no signs of it at all, so even Ian hadn’t known.

Shana knew all of that, and had embraced it.

As if it were nothing.

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