I Opened an Illegal Animal Hospital in Another World - Chapter 44

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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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44

Chapter 11. First Patient (3)

I decided to take the girl home.

“No staying out overnight. You should play in moderation.”

That’s what Mother had instructed. Mother said she had things to look into and would be busy, so she went back first. She took Renate and even Ron with her.

The scale of building a whole building and then drawing the line at calling it ‘playing hospital’ was truly impressive.

‘As expected, those born with golden spoons are different.’

I’d heard in passing that Mother was also from a great family. In passing. Just in passing. I’d never heard it directly.

I had never once in my life met any adults from my maternal or paternal relatives. Both parents seemed to consciously avoid bringing up the topic, so I thought it was better not to ask.

‘Relatives aren’t necessarily on your side anyway.’

It’s a common thing…

There must be good reasons why they don’t tell me about it. I wasn’t even curious since I’d never met them. I just assumed they were alive somewhere.

However, while attending the Imperial Palace, instructors other than the Academy teacher would sometimes slip up. They’d let slip Mother’s or Father’s names or try to mention circumstances that my parents hadn’t told me about.

Whenever that happened, Raven would kick the desk or glare at them uncomfortably to make them shut up. And then they could never be seen again.

Ruthless bastard. If this were my previous world, you’d be sued for wrongful termination.

Anyway, the conclusion was that Mother was also born with a golden spoon, which is why she had no sense of money.

As you could tell from when I asked for a hospital to be built and she said “Just that?”, my parents clearly felt like they were just cooperating with whatever play I wanted to do. Like buying a toy house set for their daughter to play with.

If I didn’t hide my identity, people would definitely sneer, “The Wentworth daughter certainly plays hospital in a luxurious way.” Because I’d probably want to be sarcastic about it too. I resolved to hide well and not let my parents get criticized for nothing.

“So I’ll be working here as a healer starting tomorrow?”

Maria asked. I shook my head.

“No, the things I ordered haven’t arrived yet, so we’ll open starting next week.”

There were things I needed to do before that.

Though Leon and Ian brought someone, so I ended up receiving my first patient before opening.

“And next month, Raven has to enter the Academy Dormitory. I won’t be attending the party, but Her Majesty the Empress suggested we all have tea time together this weekend as a farewell…”

I was getting along reasonably well with the beautiful Empress, and since my parents would be there too, it wouldn’t be difficult. Even if it was bothersome, I could endure it knowing that after that occasion, I wouldn’t have to listen to those tedious lessons anymore.

The Academy teacher kept making strange comments about how I should continue coming to lessons, seeming reluctant to let me go, but I pretended not to hear.

‘I have an ominous feeling…’

Something about the Academy teacher’s tone was strange. Raven was also unusually quiet…

“Let’s go, Lady Shana.”

Evelyn lifted the girl up in her arms. Leon and Ian awkwardly stepped back.

“Evelyn, that’s our job…”

“I’m stronger.”

Ian weakly agreed, “That’s true…” They say the twins have never once beaten Evelyn.

Maria patted the dejected twins’ shoulders to comfort them. They didn’t look happy at all.

***

I gave the sleeping girl a thorough wash.

Ella offered to help, but I said I’d do it myself since this child was my patient. Of course, Evelyn helped me. My strong friend is the best.

I washed her matted hair, dried it thoroughly, and combed it. I dressed her in my spare pajamas and lightly bandaged her ankle where the marks remained.

Even after we returned from dinner, the girl was still asleep. It felt strange to see someone else lying in my bed.

Though thin, her features were neat. When she opened her eyes, she’d probably have a cute and prim expression. She’d be even cuter when she smiled.

But quite a bit of time had passed and there was no sign of her waking up.

“Should I wake her? Shouldn’t I feed her something?”

“She needs to wake up so we can move her from Lady Shana’s bed…”

Evelyn gave an unexpected response.

“Why worry about something like that?”

“We could have put her in my bed, why does it have to be Lady Shana’s bed?”

“It’s more convenient for me to watch over her.”

Evelyn pouted.

“Even after I grew up, I couldn’t get on the bed anymore.”

“But when I asked you to sleep together, you said you didn’t want to.”

“…How can you say that?”

“You used to sleep with me before!”

“I’m too big now. You saw it yourself. What if the bed collapses?”

She really worries about the strangest things.

“I can just buy new ones.”

Right after I answered, Ron’s voice saying “Like mother, like daughter…” came to mind, but I quickly dismissed it. Birds of a feather flock together. Let’s be confident.

“When I first met her, Evelyn was only as big as my palm. She was really, really, really so cute.”

“…Lady Shana too…”

“Her belly was chubby and her fur was so fluffy.”

Evelyn’s cheeks gradually turned red.

“Her eyes and nose were black and shiny, she was so adorable. I fell for her at first sight…”

“…”

“Come to think of it, you haven’t shown me your transformed form much lately.”

“…I’m too big now…”

“But you only look cool? Speaking of which, since there’s no bed today, can’t we sleep together? Preferably in your transformed form!”

“Th-that’s…”

“I’ll only hold you lightly so I won’t be heavy!”

“…Lady Shana is light…”

“So you’ll grant my request?”

“…That’s a separate matter. I’m not cute anymore… You said you were nice to me because I was cute…”

“What?!”

What is she talking about.

“Who said that?! Was it Leon? Ian? Who said such nonsense?! I’ll give them a piece of my mind!”

“…No, it’s just, now, I’ve gotten too big…”

“Don’t you know that the bigger you get, the cuter you are?”

Why don’t you understand! Why! When something cute gets bigger, it becomes even cuter!

“R-really?”

Evelyn said quietly. I didn’t miss the opportunity and clung to Evelyn’s waist.

Evelyn, who looked like a cute and pretty 15-year-old girl on the outside, didn’t get pushed back even when I hung on her with my full weight. Amazing core strength.

“Of course! So Evelyn, please! I’m begging you! If not the sofa, I’m fine sleeping on the floor!”

“How could I let Lady Shana sleep on the floor!”

“Pleeeease!”

Why, doesn’t everyone have that kind of fantasy?

The dream of sleeping leaning against an animal large enough to embrace my whole body.

That kind of fantasy of sleeping with my cheek buried in fluffy fur.

Ah. Just imagining it makes me happy.

In my previous life, I couldn’t even keep animals due to my environment, but even in a normal household, it would have been a difficult wish to fulfill. You can’t keep an animal large enough for a person to embrace in a small house.

“Evelyn, please? Please, please?”

“Lady Shana…”

“My room’s carpet is soft. Your feet sink right in! Let’s wrap ourselves in blankets and sleep together, okay? Okay?”

Evelyn hesitated, opening and closing her lips. That meant she was on the verge of giving in.

The people in our house were very weak to me. During the 7 years I’ve lived as this house’s daughter, I’ve developed into a clever child who knows how to use that!

I put my hands together and pleaded with tears welling up in my eyes.

“Ev, Ev. Let’s sleep together. Please? Please? Please?”

“…If you showed this side to Lord Anais and Lord Kail, they wouldn’t have anything to feel left out about.”

“Mother and Father grant everything even without me doing this.”

“…”

How very clever and cunning! Haha. I felt proud. That’s what you get for spoiling me.

Even when I give myself warnings that this will make me grow up to be a spoiled person, the price for underestimating me by saying “So what. That would be cute too.”…

Evelyn looked at me for a moment with an indescribable expression, then said with a low sigh.

“Fine. But just for today.”

“Yay!”

I’m lucky I’m still 7 years old. Aegyo still works. As I was jumping around and cheering, Evelyn muttered.

“I wonder if there’s anyone in this world who could refuse this…”

There would be quite a lot?

***

This is the best… Big puppies are the best…

Wrapped in soft fur, enjoying body temperature slightly warmer than mine, drowsiness began to wash over me. Evelyn was fast asleep, making soft breathing sounds.

“So cute…”

She looked like a Labrador Retriever, but was much larger in size. Even better. So big and so cute…

‘Evelyn must have been bothered by that girl too.’

Maybe she saw her own circumstances overlapping with hers…

‘To think she wasn’t showing herself because she thought she wasn’t cute anymore, I should have asked earlier. I lost out by being considerate.’

I remembered when I first met Evelyn. She had been bothered by my answer of “because you’re cute” when she asked why I was nice to her.

How silly. I like her because she’s cute, and she’s cute because I like her.

But I wasn’t unaware of that feeling either.

There’s no reason why someone should like you, but when you lack confidence in yourself and have little experience being loved, it becomes hard to believe those words at face value.

You come to firmly believe that love needs a convincing reason. Whether it’s looks, money, or status.

That’s why the question “Why do you like me?” is so sad.

The trigger might be different for each person, but the feelings of wanting to be good to someone, wanting to be close, wanting to be together—these don’t arise from logic.

And once emotions develop, they deepen over time and become love…

That’s what my father said. Actually, I don’t really know much about love either. I’ve never dated.

I crawled out of Evelyn’s embrace like a caterpillar, wrapped tightly in the blanket.

“Ugh, mmm…”

As expected.

I carefully crawled up onto the bed. I decided I should work harder on my height-growing exercises.

“Hnngh, huk…”

I reached out and touched her forehead. There was no fever. It’s a nightmare.

“D-don’t touch me!”

There was a slapping sound as my hand got hit. Evelyn was skillfully pretending not to know.

“Don’t come near me… Where is this? Who are you?! What are you trying to do to me!!”

Uh, how do I explain this.

“I said don’t come closer?! If you come, I’ll kill you! I’d rather die than be caught again!!”

I covered the confused-looking eyes of the girl who was glaring at me and panting with my palm. The girl flinched and trembled, but didn’t hit me.

“It’s all a dream.”

“…”

“When you sleep and wake up, all the painful and difficult things will be over…”

Hush, hush.

I stroked her skinny back and absorbed the clay made of mist, and gradually the strength left her body. Hmm.

“Hush-a-bye, our baby… In the Front Yard and Backyard Hill…”

I forgot the lyrics.

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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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