I Opened an Illegal Animal Hospital in Another World - Chapter 85

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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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85

Chapter 19. Predators Don’t Only Live in the Jungle (2)

Practice was impossible.

“Evelyn, you can’t catch me!”

Whenever I positioned myself to fall, Evelyn would rush over from wherever she was and support me. I even tried when Evelyn wasn’t around, but when I squeezed my eyes shut and opened them, a black dog was lying beneath me like a cushion.

I had intended to collapse pitifully, but gradually became stubborn and ended up lying down with such force that I was practically slamming my body to the floor, which soon turned into an unfunny physical comedy routine.

“B-but how can I just let Lady Shana fall?”

“The carpet is soft, so what’s there to worry about? I won’t get hurt from something like this.”

“Lady Shana could get hurt anywhere.”

“…That’s not a compliment…”

Evelyn’s expression was unnecessarily serious, which hurt my feelings a little. She was genuinely worried about me. Does she see me as some kind of paper doll…?

My attempt to collapse pitifully like an old movie heroine ended without proper practice. Fine, I thought it would be impossible to do it like a movie protagonist from the start anyway.

Let’s just aim to fall properly when I fall.

Besides practicing falling, there was a lot to prepare.

Mother seemed extremely excited about being able to show me to people for the first time.

I had planned to casually pick one of the many dresses that Grandfather and Grandmother send every season, but looking at Mother’s expression, I realized I wouldn’t be going to work today.

Good thing I asked Ella to handle things.

‘If I just sacrifice today, I’ll be completely free starting tomorrow, so let’s endure it.’

‘Lady Shana Perry Wentworth,’ who was scheduled to make her first appearance and collapse spectacularly today, was planning to go to the duchy for recuperation due to her chronic illness.

A carriage was already arranged. Grandfather also said he had something to ask of me. This was what Mother told me after breakfast a few days ago – to visit the duchy once.

I was planning to go soon anyway, so it worked out perfectly.

Officially, I would never return, but unofficially, I’d be back soon.

“Let’s try this one next, Shana!”

“Again?”

“But everything looks so good on you. We’re not getting fully dressed up, just trying things on. Let’s just try five more outfits.”

Seeing my face crumble, Bailey let out a small laugh.

“Please bear with it a little longer. How happy must she be to act like this?”

“It’s just tiring…”

I don’t dislike dress-up games either. I just wanted to switch roles with Mother. I want to be the one saying try this on, try that on, and just enjoy watching!

“Since Mom and I look exactly the same anyway, if it suits Mom, it’ll suit me too!”

“What are you saying? Lady Shana and Lady Anais may have similar features, but your atmospheres are completely different!”

That feels like a compliment that’s not quite a compliment.

But I had to admit our atmospheres were different. Right, I’m the person who can only make tasteless food even with organic vegetables…

Mother said with her cheeks flushed red like a young girl.

“You’re so pretty in everything, I can’t choose.”

“If I’m pretty in everything, can’t you just pick anything?”

“I want to try this on you, and that on you too!”

“Can you hear me?”

“So wonderful! My daughter is the best! There’s not a single part of you that isn’t pretty!”

“…”

She doesn’t seem to hear me. I humbly gave up.

“What do you mean five outfits! Since it’s come to this, let’s go all out and be really fancy!”

If you give up, you might as well enjoy it.

***

“And this is the result?”

Leon and Ian’s expressions were quite a sight to behold.

I was confident.

“If we’re doing it anyway, fancy is better.”

“Isn’t it too fancy?! Don’t people usually wear modest white dresses to debutante balls?!”

“It’s not even an official debutante ball… This is my first and last time, so what does it matter? Besides, the color is apricot, so it looks kind of white in dim lighting.”

Leon is more old-fashioned than he looks.

The color was relatively modest, but the dress was so fancy that I looked ready to attend an awards ceremony. The enormous volume of the skirt, all the beads attached, and the delicate decorations looked like a designer piece… which it probably was…

If I had worn this dress to an awards ceremony, I would have felt compelled to win an award even if I had to threaten the organizers. If I wasn’t going to win anything, I’d definitely get criticized for being so excited all by myself.

Sigh, if I was going to feel like wearing a designer piece from a brand show anyway, I wanted to show off a huge hat like a model or some incomprehensible high fashion, but I held back.

“I like fancy things too, if we’re doing it anyway.”

“…But you’re planning to collapse at the end…”

“Taste and health are separate matters.”

Is there some law that says you can’t collapse if you’re dressed fancy? There isn’t. Even if I had worked out hard and built impressive muscles, you can’t know about internal organ conditions, right?

What can you do when someone says they’re sick.

And honestly, to use appearance as a measure of frailty, I looked too healthy today. Bailey was really good at makeup…

“It’s Mother and Bailey’s love.”

“…Well, then that makes sense…”

Leon shook his head as if he was sick of it. Is it really that bad?

“Evelyn, do I look weird?”

“Shana, you’re asking the wrong person. She’s someone who would praise you as beautiful even if you were wearing clown makeup.”

Ian’s point was correct. Evelyn looked straight at me with sparkling black eyes and said.

“If you’re going to do clown makeup, I’ll go get a costume right away.”

“No, no. I’m not doing anything like that… You can’t even get that stuff anywhere.”

“They must sell it somewhere. Leave it to me!”

Do party supply specialty stores exist in this world too? More importantly, isn’t clown a profession?

“If they don’t sell it, there must be some passing clown. I’ll politely borrow it.”

“Politely steal it, you mean.”

Why does Leon never let Evelyn’s words slide? Normally Evelyn would gladly respond to Leon’s provocation, but today she seemed to choose the mature approach.

“Please be careful, Lady Shana. Whenever you need me, just call my name. I’ll run to you wherever you are.”

It must be Evelyn’s wistful farewell since she can’t go to the Imperial Palace ball with me… but why does it sound sincere? It felt like she would come whether it was the Imperial Palace or the end of the world. The power of those earnest eyes made me believe it was possible.

When Evelyn didn’t take the bait, Leon seemed deflated too. While Leon was grumbling, Ian offered me his arm.

“Are you going to escort me?”

“We’re your knights.”

“Haha, tonight is a main character party.”

If the healer of Rierem was my alt character, then the Wentworth Noblewoman was my main character. By share it should be the opposite, but by order it was like that. The twins too, normally in Rierem they’re…

‘Thugs? Ruffians? …Unemployed?’

Anyway, they’re the hospital emergency team, but their main characters were proper knights.

You couldn’t imagine it from their usual appearance of lying around lazily in empty hospital rooms, but when they put their minds to dressing up, they could become such dazzlingly splendid and dignified knights that you couldn’t look away.

Honestly, it felt a bit like cheating.

A collaboration between a wild handsome man with red hair and an intellectual handsome man. I shouldn’t have opened a hospital, I should have gone into the movie business. There are too many excellent materials.

Perhaps feeling my staring gaze, Ian helped me easily board the carriage and skillfully arranged my dress hem too. Do they teach this at the Academy too… He could work part-time at a wedding hall right now.

Leon, who had been bickering with Evelyn, also got in the carriage. My parents said they would come later, and I was leaving a bit earlier than scheduled to enter together with Raven.

The twins accompanied me to escort me. Of course, it wasn’t just the twins. Around the carriage, there were plenty of our family knights.

As I peered out the window, Ian asked.

“Are you nervous?”

“Huh? No. Not at all.”

“It’s your debut stage.”

“Well, I might have hesitated a bit if they told me to dance and sing.”

Since I wasn’t prepared for that.

Still, I was a citizen of South Korea, so I couldn’t show mediocre skills. I would have needed a trainee period. At least 3 years.

I had years of watching K-idols. When your standards are high, your criteria are high too.

‘It’s not even an idol debut.’

Since idol debut stages came to mind first when I heard “debut,” I couldn’t understand what was so nerve-wracking about just greeting, smiling, and dancing with strangers. Those people weren’t murderers who would stab me to death, and there was no internet here for haters to spread malicious comments for everyone to see.

If they cursed at me to my face? I’d give it right back.

I’d try to endure it since causing a scene would trouble my parents or grandparents, but I wasn’t afraid of quietly having conflicts with a few people.

‘They’re not bosses or company presidents I can’t afford to get fired by…’

Back then it was hard holding back my temper. If it weren’t for Mina, I wouldn’t have been able to work that long. …Though I worked so long I ended up dying…

Besides, it was just one night. What could happen?

“Well, you’re fearless.”

Ian laughed briefly. Is he one to talk?

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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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