I Opened an Illegal Animal Hospital in Another World - Chapter 53

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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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53

 

Chapter 13. The Hospital is a Bust (1)

 

I decided to put Lili in charge of the hospital counter.

 

“You’d really hire someone like me? Are you serious?”

 

I’m perfectly sane.

 

“Yeah. But self-deprecating remarks like ‘someone like me’ are banned.”

 

Should I start a self-esteem building project? As I muttered to myself, Evelyn looked at Lili with slightly pitying eyes.

 

This project was created based on my experience as a newborn. Whenever someone makes self-deprecating remarks, you shower them with comfort and encouragement like someone from California.

 

The principle is that everyone around participates, so the side effect is that if the target has a mature mind, they might suffer to death from shame.

 

‘It’s absolutely not about getting revenge for what I went through.’

 

But the effect is excellent. When I was little, every time I crawled on my belly, crawled, stood on my own two feet… whenever I had small achievements, I received a shower of praise like “Amazing!”, “Wonderful!”, “You’re a genius!” Though I felt embarrassed to death each time, my self-esteem became solid.

 

It seems like a meager effect compared to the pain I endured, but self-esteem is important… Really.

 

Of course, raising a child like this would make them arrogant and conceited like a frog in a well. I warned them. Ribbit.

 

“…Your mother really allows such things?”

 

“Mother never really said anything about it?”

 

My parents tend to be overprotective when it comes to my safety, but otherwise they’re close to laissez-faire. How else would their catchphrase be “Our Shana should do whatever she wants to do…”? It made me suspect whether my parents were obsessive fans of celebrities in my previous life.

 

After talking with my parents for a long time, I understand how celebrities get celebrity disease and become dead-eyed.

 

“Besides, Lili didn’t do anything wrong. She was just being controlled.”

 

“…Usually people can’t distinguish that as cleanly as cutting with a knife.”

 

“Even Raven, who was the biggest victim, made jokes at the end.”

 

Saying she’d have to work for free for life to pay for injuring my precious body… Actually, it probably wasn’t a joke.

 

“And if I really judged you to be dangerous, honestly…”

 

You wouldn’t be alive anymore…

 

I deliberately swallowed the rest of my words. Especially since Evelyn, who was still glaring behind Lili, wouldn’t have left her alone.

 

“Anyway, the curse on you has completely disappeared now.”

 

“Without the curse, you wouldn’t even be a bite-sized snack.”

 

When Evelyn added coldly, Lili pursed her lips as if her pride was hurt. I hoped they would get along well, but… it seemed impossible for now.

 

When will my desire to spend holidays rolling around with a black puppy and yellow canary come true?

 

“If you’ve decided not to run away and to work, start by fixing your rude way of speaking to Lady Shana.”

 

“…Got it. I mean, I understand.”

 

It wouldn’t be good for me to say I prefer informal speech here… Instead, I decided to change the mood.

 

“Lili’s role is very important! This is something only Lili can do!”

 

“What is it? Ma’am.”

 

“Bring in customers.”

 

“What?”

 

“…Please bring some patients…”

 

I collapsed gloomily onto the desk.

 

We opened the hospital but no one comes near our hospital…

 

Not even flies. Sob sob.

 

***

 

A little later, lunchtime.

 

We decided to have lunch at the place next door, Ron’s Bar. It operates as a restaurant during the day, but since no one comes near it, it was safe.

 

By the way, Lili left saying she was going to meet her colleagues. The twins followed to keep watch.

 

I ended up having a meal with Maria, Evelyn, Ron, and Renate. When I grumbled about why there were no customers, Renate snorted and said:

 

“Isn’t that obvious?”

 

“Renate…”

 

Leave some room for hope.

 

“Who would be crazy enough to enter a building that’s obviously dripping with money? It’s blatantly suspicious.”

 

“Won’t even petty thieves come in to steal valuables?”

 

“Idiots that stupid couldn’t survive on this street in the first place. They all died early.”

 

“…”

 

Thank you for the cold assessment…

 

I sniffled and collapsed on the table. Maria said:

 

“Lady Shana, even if you hate carrot soup, I won’t overlook it. Stop pretending to cry and eat it all.”

 

“Don’t wanna…”

 

It’s already sad that we’re failing because we have no customers, and now I have to eat food I hate too!

 

“Say ah. Ah.”

 

“I have hands too…”

 

I had to eat it. Maria wouldn’t let it slide.

 

“Well done. If you hadn’t eaten it, I was going to tell Ella at dinner time. To make you eat whatever you didn’t finish.”

 

“….”

 

Ella would be even less forgiving. Dinner would have more delicious dishes, but she would definitely refuse all of them and pile on only the things I hated. I diligently drank my soup.

 

Ron and Renate watched me with pitying looks. If you’re going to sympathize, give me money instead…!

 

Maria continued speaking.

 

“It’s still the first week. Don’t worry too much about it, Lady Shana. If it really comes to it, Ella and I could step in. Lord Bailey might help too.”

 

“…No, don’t do that. I’ll wait.”

 

“Aw, what a shame.”

 

Don’t be disappointed… Don’t say scary things so casually with that cute face.

 

“Ron, isn’t there anyone sick among your acquaintances? Since it’s the hospital’s first week, I’ll charge only half the usual fee.”

 

“Oh, you were planning to charge fees?”

 

“What am I, digging up the ground to make a living?”

 

Even so, I already had three people I needed to pay salaries to.

 

Since my parents were taking care of Evelyn and Maria’s salaries, the twins’ and Lili’s wages would be my responsibility.

 

“As I mentioned before, I don’t know all the beastmen in the area either. Even though I run an orphanage, there are many who don’t trust me.”

 

“Ron isn’t exactly trustworthy…”

 

When I said this teasingly, Ron made a groaning sound. I glanced at Renate, belatedly worried that he might be upset about me teasing his alpha.

 

Renate, catching my eye, actually smiled lightly. …He really is nice.

 

“Rather than asking the untrustworthy Ron, wouldn’t it be better to ask the children to bring their friends? There might be more kids like Lili.”

 

“The children can’t control features like their ears and tails yet, so I don’t let them go outside.”

 

“You’ve locked them up?!”

 

“…Please don’t make statements that could be misunderstood. I’m only protecting them for their safety.”

 

“My parents said the exact same thing…”

 

Renate burst into quiet laughter. He was someone who knew well that I had been confined. Maria also smiled bitterly.

 

Renate asked.

 

“Did you open the hospital for the beastmen?”

 

“…Sort of?”

 

It was true that I decided to open the hospital early because I was concerned about the beastmen who would be helpless if seriously injured or ill, but I answered lightly, worried that being too honest might be burdensome.

 

Acting too good would seem fake…

 

“People who have places to go wouldn’t bother coming to this suspicious hospital, so it can’t be helped if only beastmen end up coming, right?”

 

It wasn’t intentional.

 

“Though it might be different once word spreads…”

 

Maria shrugged her shoulders.

 

“Even so, if anyone does come, they’d only be people who can’t openly seek out priests or those who don’t have money to pay healers.”

 

“Renate, you sound really smart…”

 

“Perfect conditions to become crime victims.”

 

“….”

 

Renate glanced at me and chuckled. He’s totally like some male lead… If Father is like a cold Northern Grand Duke, then Renate is like a wild and rough back-alley boss.

 

Though the real back-alley boss is that big, tearful tavern owner. This was the difference between reality and ideals.

 

From his relaxed posture leaning back in his chair with his chin propped up, confidence was overflowing. His looks went without saying.

 

I liked Renate not just because he had saved me, but I didn’t know what he thought of me.

 

Renate said he was helping Ron with his work, and I knew he was occasionally called by Mother now. Judging from Seth’s words, he was probably investigating the mastermind behind the curse.

 

‘Since we’ve already met, I could tell him he doesn’t need to investigate further… but I can’t!’

 

I’d obviously be confined immediately. At least until Seth was killed.

 

‘Even if Seth could be killed, I don’t think there would be no sacrifices.’

 

If Seth had said “I will definitely kill the Prince and massacre all humans and ruin everything, it’s the apocalypse!” it might be different, but since he didn’t seem particularly enthusiastic and treated it like a casual snack, it was better to humor him while playing along.

 

‘What he demanded in return was just conversation.’

 

If it had been anything else, no way. What a pervert.

 

Renate said.

 

“You won’t make much money here. If you want to earn money, go to a different district.”

 

“But I already have a lot of money?”

 

When I answered confidently, he burst into loud laughter. Ron looked at Renate with shocked eyes. Why is he acting like that, as if he’s never seen someone laugh before.

 

“I’m worried that if there are no customers at all, Lili and the twins won’t accept their salaries.”

 

I don’t know about Lili, but the twins would never accept it even if they died…

 

It was true that it was my parents’ wealth and not mine, but I had learned the sweetness of allowance money.

 

I had discovered that what I thought was just a penny or two that Mother or Father gave me when they were in good moods was actually not just a penny or two.

 

The class of our household where pocket money alone makes it possible without inheriting any fortune.

 

“Even without a single customer, we could easily operate for over 100 years! Amazing!”

 

“Then what about treating people for free?”

 

“That’s a bit… I have to think about people in the same industry, and if it’s free, people will definitely come and act entitled even when they’re not sick.”

 

People tend not to value things given without cost.

 

And if you give things for free and then try to charge, they forget the kindness they received and get angry instead. I didn’t want to be treated like that.

 

“I can’t tell if that’s realistic or childish.”

 

Renate said that while patting my head.

 

“You’ll be free in the afternoon too, then.”

 

“Renate, you’re making fun of me right now.”

 

I’m going to bite that hand.

 

“Then let’s go.”

 

Renate lifted me up with one arm. Wow.

 

I was carried out of the tavern like a baguette, as if I had become the daughter of some muscular Hollywood actor.

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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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