I Opened an Illegal Animal Hospital in Another World - Chapter 81

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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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81

Medical Chart 5. Once Again, Only I Was Serious (1)

“Welcome back, you’ve worked hard.”

“It was nothing much.”

“Sometimes you don’t need to be modest.”

“That’s the first time I’ve heard that. I’ve always been told to be humble.”

Belita looked at Raven with moist eyes as he responded without backing down from a single word.

It had been a long time since Belita had seen him fully grown. Seeing the same traits from his childhood in her son who had grown like a different person, even his impudent appearance was touching.

“But you really did work hard.”

“Let’s leave it at that.”

Still, he was a bit annoying.

“But really, there was no need for that. You could have returned right after graduation, yet you spent years traveling abroad.”

“Wasn’t that what His Majesty wanted?”

“Even so, it’s ridiculous to talk about qualifications now after already appointing you as Crown Prince.”

“He must be feeling regretful.”

Raven remained indifferent throughout.

“If only his body wasn’t weak, he’d want to pass the throne to your brother.”

“Even if his body wasn’t weak, the throne wouldn’t have become his. I wouldn’t have allowed it.”

“Of course you wouldn’t.”

Belita spoke with confidence. Even if there had been five or six more princes above Raven, her son would have become the Crown Prince.

Raven was objectively an outstanding person, but even if he hadn’t been, it would have been the same.

So as Belita said, he didn’t need to travel abroad. The Emperor only sent him to kingdoms influenced by Duke Algren, who supported the First Prince, and often sent him to battlefields as well. Though he was sent as the Emperor’s representative, there were countless dangerous moments.

Belita protested strongly every time Raven was in danger, and each time her position became more solid, but it wasn’t worth gaining at the cost of Raven’s safety.

Nevertheless, Raven obediently complied with the Emperor’s unreasonable demands.

‘Because I needed time.’

He had to leave the Imperial Palace to graduate from the Academy anyway. Even while he was gone, Belita and the talented people he had supported and cultivated since childhood would protect his position. In that case, he decided to make the most of the time he had to be away.

Raven needed distance from Shana and an appropriate amount of time apart.

Otherwise, Shana would never become aware of Raven the way he wanted her to.

Look at the twins. Raven expected that if he continued to stay by Shana’s side, his treatment would be barely better than the twins’, or perhaps even worse.

That was the correct answer.

Shana would have treated Raven as an intimate childhood friend, but never anything more than that. So Raven deliberately didn’t return even before graduation, and delayed time even after graduation.

Though it ended up being about two years later than calculated.

They contacted each other almost daily.

Wouldn’t it be troublesome if she completely forgot him while he was keeping his distance to make her conscious of him? Fortunately, Shana shared all sorts of trivial stories with her ‘childhood friend’ Raven.

When he was on the battlefield, it was somewhat difficult to find the right timing to contact her, but it was fine. The ring didn’t transmit all the noise. He just had to cover his unnecessarily noisy mouth.

Raven covered his mouth with his palm while listening to Belita talk about recent developments.

Even without trying to think about it, even without trying to recall it, a face carved like an afterimage flickered like a phantom.

Green eyes that were flustered and lost, and two cheeks that had turned red as apples.

From her trembling lips came sounds that could have been moans or his name.

That was what Raven had imagined and longed for thousands, tens of thousands of times while apart from Shana.

‘I’m going crazy…’

If Belita hadn’t been in front of him, he would have burst into loud laughter by now. His covered mouth lost control and stretched wide.

Raven spent time every day imagining how Shana might have grown. Since she resembled her mother so much, it wasn’t too difficult to imagine how she would grow up. It was regrettable that he couldn’t see with his own eyes, but imagination gave him the strength to endure the waiting.

However, reality surpassed imagination. The experience of feeling something was perfect not because of the harmony of facial features’ position or shape, but because the subject was lovable, wasn’t something one could have commonly.

Far from fading, his old emotions multiplied several times over and overflowed the moment they reunited. It wasn’t simply joy or gladness, but closer to longing and desperation.

“Are you listening to me?”

“Yes.”

“…You weren’t listening.”

Belita clicked her tongue softly. She had already heard the report that he entered the capital two days ago. And yet he only came to see her today. It was obvious where he had been during that time.

“I understand you’re happy to reunite with your fiancée, but you’d better take my words to heart. In the end, you need to eliminate the First Prince for your future to be secure.”

“I know.”

“The First Prince’s health has gotten worse recently, so I haven’t seen his face in a while. It’s useless to try to plant people around Duke Algren because they keep dying. Every person we attach dies in some way…”

Since they had responded with the same methods from this side, there was no need to argue about right and wrong.

“I should visit my brother after a long time.”

“You should. Be careful. Thanks to your successful completion of the mission, His Majesty’s heart has completely turned to you. So they’ll be getting desperate now too. Go and see whether his condition has gotten worse or better.”

“Yes, I’ll check if he’s in a good state to kill.”

Shana would jump if she heard talk about having to kill his brother, but Raven was truly indifferent about it.

He was a stranger from the beginning, and a political enemy.

For Raven, who was born in an environment where human emotions were poison, others were tools and means. That’s how he was taught. To view people like chess pieces, read the overall situation, and make optimal judgments.

Shana was just an exception.

‘Ah.’

Raven said.

“I’ve already met him.”

“What? You went to see him before me?”

Then what does that make me. When Belita frowned, Raven said.

“He wouldn’t have recognized me.”

“…Where on earth did you see him? Didn’t you come from the Wentworth Estate?”

“It seems he’s developed a new hobby.”

***

The next day.

Lili’s morning started quite early.

She opened her eyes before dawn had fully broken and sat on her bed, just blinking quietly. Her mind was hazy as sleep hadn’t completely left her.

Through her swollen, narrowed vision, she saw her particularly disheveled hair today. Her naturally curly hair would puff up as if ready to explode if not properly maintained. With a slightly irritated mood, Lili first tied her hair tightly.

The bed next to hers was already completely empty. Not only that, but it was arranged so neatly without a single wrinkle that one might doubt whether anyone had even slept in it.

Of course, it was usually the same, but today Evelyn really hadn’t returned. Lili looked at the space beside her with complicated feelings, then buried her forehead in the bed covers and squirmed. Ugh, ugh, ugh.

Contrary to her wish to sleep more, her body had already left the bed and stepped onto the floor. She washed her face and changed clothes out of long habit.

The Wentworth Estate was full of diligent people.

When she left her room, even though dawn hadn’t broken yet, people were busily moving around, awakening the manor’s morning. Lili exchanged nods and went to find Bailey.

“Lady Bailey, did you sleep well?”

“Yes, Lili. Did you sleep well?”

“I’ll head to work right away today too.”

“Stop by the kitchen and pack a lunch.”

“Thank you.”

Lili bowed politely. Bailey was kind, but Lili’s instincts told her she was a scary person. Bailey would jokingly say that if Lili was going to be polite to her, she should use honorifics with Shana.

‘It’s probably not a joke…’

What Lili had painfully realized after entering this manor was that everyone working in this estate was somewhat strange somewhere. The closer they were to the ducal family, the stranger they were.

Of course, in Lili’s opinion, Evelyn was definitely leading that strangeness.

‘She’s a bit crazy…’

She’d heard that dog beastmen had exceptional loyalty, but even without seeing others, it was obvious that Evelyn was unusual. Because even Ron, the alpha of the Gray Wolf Clan, clicked his tongue at her.

‘I heard she’s mixed with other species besides dog, so maybe those species have obsessive and coercive traits…?’

Or she’s just a troublemaker.

After getting a packed lunch from the kitchen, she took the teleport circle to the hospital. A teleport from the ducal estate to the slum – she was surprised at first, but now it wasn’t remarkable.

In that household, it was harder to find something that wasn’t strange.

Lili immediately walked to the window to ventilate. There was still time before clinic hours, so she could ventilate sufficiently in the meantime.

“Lili, hello!”

“Good morning, Jake.”

Jake waved through the window. Lili took her lunch and went to him. She didn’t forget to lock the door again.

“I brought lunch. Let’s eat together.”

“Sorry every time. Thanks.”

“It’s nothing. I didn’t pack it myself anyway.”

She answered indifferently and bit her tongue. She’d given a sharp reply again. Seeing Lili’s face scrunch up as if she’d swallowed a lemon, Jake smiled softly.

“I’m not hurt.”

“…Still. I’m bothered by it.”

“It’s fine though…”

“That’s because you’re kind.”

Jake said he wasn’t particularly kind. However, in Lili’s view, if Jake wasn’t kind, then kind people didn’t exist in this world.

They sat at Ron’s Restaurant and had breakfast together.

Jake worked as an informant, traveling with Ron. His ability to get along with human friends and communicate with rats was very rare and precious.

‘I need to express it… It’s so difficult.’

Shana does it so well, why is it so hard for me?

Lili, you’re so pretty today too! Your curly hair is really cute! I feel so reassured because Lili does such good work. Lili, your voice sounds even better today? Won’t you call my name just once?

Jake watched Lili, who was slightly frowning and moving her mouth, and thought.

‘She’s thinking about Lady Shana again…’

Jake sighed without letting Lili notice and made a sad face. It was too difficult that the biggest obstacle to his love was that person’s benefactor.

She only said no, but Lili really liked Shana very much. She had no choice but to.

Because she was the one who saved her. Because she was the one who held on so she could live.

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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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