I Opened an Illegal Animal Hospital in Another World - Chapter 93

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

93

Chapter 20. When You’re Having Fun, You’re Bound to Forget Something (5)

Jake had become invisible. It seemed like he was moving around transformed as a rat. When I asked Evelyn if we had lost him, she said:

“Jake’s scent is unique, so it doesn’t fade easily. Don’t worry.”

I felt sorry for Jake.

Leon muttered, “Has he ever thought about the shame felt by those on the receiving end?” From the fact that I could hear it, his voice was certainly not quiet.

By the way, my feet were starting to hurt. As soon as I had that scary thought, Ian spoke up.

“I’ll carry you on my back.”

And he quickly crouched down in front of me. Since I had often been carried by the twins, I climbed onto his back without barely stopping our pace. A skilled instructor’s demonstration… no, it was the swift burden of a skilled weakling.

Ian stood up lightly and kept up as if he had never fallen behind. Raven said:

“You beat me to it.”

“We know when Shana gets tired.”

Ian said proudly. Being proud of knowing in detail how weak I am would only be embarrassing. Someone else’s weakness.

“I will, I will definitely, exercise…”

“I’ve been hearing the same thing for over 10 years. Don’t just talk about it, come out when I ask you to exercise together instead of making excuses.”

“I danced to 3 whole songs today. Very slowly, but it’s proof that I’m making gradual progress.”

“…Yeah, that’s amazing progress…”

Ian is expert-level at pretending to praise while actually insulting.

But today I really felt like I had gotten better. Not only did I dance to 3 songs, but I had also exerted quite a bit of energy during the preparation process, yet here I was playing around without any problems. Ian said quietly:

“You just don’t notice because you’re excited right now, but wait until tomorrow. What’s the point if you collapse sick after this?”

“…”

“That’s why I told you to calm down your excitement moderately. Not only are you going to collapse with body aches, but you’re determined to get an upset stomach too by picking up and eating anything, overeating.”

“Ian, are you my second mother?”

“…Depending on how you hear it, that sounds extremely, uncomfortable.”

At first he didn’t understand immediately and didn’t answer, so Raven elaborated:

“It sounds like you’re talking about the Duke’s second wife.”

“Ack! No! I meant you talk like a mother!”

Ian said he understood.

“I get it, so stop choking my neck.”

“Ah, sorry.”

I guess I unconsciously put too much strength into it. Ian seemed amazing, as his pace didn’t slow down even a bit despite being choked. Raven asked:

“The Duchess seems to nag quite a lot, surprisingly.”

“No, not at all…”

Rather, she was almost permissive about everything except safety.

“Shana just meant the general image of a mother. Why are you nitpicking so much?”

Leon said bluntly.

“My mother never nagged like that. So that’s the general image. Good to know.”

Well, the Graceful Empress didn’t seem like the type to follow her son around nagging.

Meanwhile, Evelyn stopped walking. Even though all four of them had been running at full speed for several minutes, none of them were breathing hard. Even Ian, who was carrying me, seemed as comfortable as if he had come out for a garden stroll.

Exercise… even if I tried, I could never reach their level. That’s why I lose motivation. I gained another excuse.

“This place is…”

“What did we run here for?”

Leon complained. And rightfully so.

We were in front of my hospital.

Ella would have returned to the manor long ago, so the hospital should have had Lili, the inpatient, and the caregiver remaining.

The inpatient still hadn’t regained consciousness, and the beastmen from his group were taking turns watching over the sickbed.

The potion’s effects were good, so all internal and external injuries had healed, but he just couldn’t regain consciousness, so Lili didn’t need to spend the night… but Lili drew the line saying that was hers and Evelyn’s role. Cold but cool.

‘I’m the only one freeloading at my own hospital…’

Had Jake come to have a date with Lili?

At first I thought that was it, but as soon as I opened the door to the inpatient ward and saw the surprised faces, I realized this wasn’t such a peaceful situation.

“Sh, Shana!?”

“Ron. What’s going on? Renate too.”

Lili and Jake, Ron and Renate were all in one place.

I was about to ask if they were having a company dinner here, but then I saw that the bed where the patient should have been lying was completely empty. An ominous feeling washed over me.

“Did the patient get discharged? You could have told me…”

“…Well, Shana.”

Lili hesitated with a rarely troubled expression. As if she had something she wanted to say but couldn’t.

I glanced at Jake, and he also looked troubled.

I looked at Renate. For some reason, Renate had a stern face as if he was very angry. He did look at me, but his expression remained stiff.

That was really unusual. Even when Renate was expressionless, his face would soften when he saw me. He was openly weak when it came to me. From when I was a baby until now.

“Renate, what’s wrong? Where did that person go?”

“He was discharged.”

“I never said he could be discharged, did I?”

Even if I was a lazy healer, I was the one in charge. I was starting to get really angry. But I held back for now.

“He got better, so he left. It’s not something you need to worry about.”

“What do you mean? How can I not worry?”

“It’s our business.”

“He’s a patient being treated in my hospital. If you really think about it, he was someone I brought here. Who else would be more involved than me? If we’re talking about relationships, Renate, you’re the one who’s less involved!”

“I’m different.”

“What’s different?!”

“….”

Renate closed his mouth. Ah, I can’t stand this. I was even angrier because I knew what he was trying to say.

“Lili, where did the patient go?”

“Well….”

“You sent Jake to chase after something, didn’t you? Jake, tell me.”

“…I’m sorry.”

So none of them are planning to tell me anything.

I felt disappointed. Not only Renate, but Ron who kept his mouth shut, Jake, and even Lili – it felt like they were all ganging up to push me out.

“You asked me to become a healer for the beastmen before.”

“….”

“You definitely asked me to become one of you. …I believed you.”

“…Shana.”

“Now you’re telling me to get lost because I’m ‘different’?”

Renate gritted his teeth.

“You said you were doing your role well.”

“Ah, so just do what I’m told?”

“Don’t be sarcastic, Shana. What I’m saying is….”

“I!”

“….”

“I’m doing my best! Why do you keep pushing me away!”

My true feelings burst out in a rush of emotion.

“You always try not to tell me anything, saying I’m weak, that it’s for my sake. I worry too, so why do you keep hiding things?”

“….”

“I know that the kids just get treated and quickly go back because you told them to do that behind my back. You told them not to tell me what kind of work they do or where and how they live. Am I wrong?”

“….”

“I waited, thinking you’d tell me when I grew up, when you trusted me more. But a patient disappears from my hospital without a word, and the four of you secretly gather with serious expressions, and you still want me to pretend I don’t know? Did you think I’d just go ‘okay, sure!’ and dance around like nothing happened when you told me to pretend I didn’t know? Of course I’d lose sleep from worrying!”

Do they think I’m a sociopath?

“I thought you didn’t like me interfering, so I tried to work hard at what I could do, like you said, Renate. Treating patients who came and making medicine for them. I thought if I did that, you’d believe I was on your side. But then you asked the twins for help instead of me, so I got angry and interfered. But we rescued them safely without anyone getting hurt. Shouldn’t you trust me a little by now? When will you ever trust me?!”

“…I never said I didn’t trust you.”

“Renate trusts me the least! Ron, Lili, and Jake all trust me!”

“….”

How many years has it been?

Even so, Renate still wouldn’t trust me at all.

“Am I that unreliable? Do you think I’ll suddenly pretend I don’t know anything one day?”

“It’s not like that. I have a responsibility for getting you involved, so I didn’t want to put you in danger at least,”

“That’s exactly it! Protect me when it’s dangerous! But at least don’t hide the situation from me!”

I know I’m fragile, but would I stupidly charge into dangerous places? I’m not saying I want to show off, I’m just asking you to share the situation with me.

“Hah….”

“Renate, I understand you worry because I’m cute and lovable.”

“….”

Why aren’t you denying it? How embarrassing.

“If you try to hide things that much, I might really get twisted and do something somewhere, you know?”

“….”

Renate’s stubbornness was well-known. But my stubbornness was no joke either. I should show him how scary my parents’ educational policy of letting me do whatever I wanted could be.

A brief silence followed.

Ron and Lili looked as if they knew we’d fight someday, and now that a full argument had started between Renate and me, they actually looked relieved. Ron had definitely wanted to share the situation with me from the beginning.

I couldn’t turn around to see Evelyn, the twins, and Raven’s expressions, but they also waited quietly.

“Um….”

Surprisingly, it was Jake who broke the silence.

“Renate, I think this is as far as it goes.”

“…Hah.”

“We had to tell Shana about this anyway. We were going to tell you, but we found this.”

Jake pulled something out from his chest.

“It was dropped where the Alpha disappeared. I think he deliberately left it knowing I was following him….”

It was something I recognized. It was what I had given as gifts to Bailey, Ella, and Maria when I made presents for my parents.

A handkerchief made from unnecessarily luxurious fabric, though it was a mess with splotchy dyeing and cut into an indeterminate shape that could be either square or triangular.

Written in crooked letters were the words ‘Thank you for raising me, Maria.’

‘Isn’t there something you forgot?’

‘No, there isn’t.’

‘Think carefully, there should be at least one thing. When you’re having fun, you’re bound to forget something.’

‘I’m not having fun, you know? You’re the one having fun playing with my hair.’

‘You’ve been playing around in this world the whole time. Does it feel like you’re dreaming?’

‘Try dying from overwork, then you’ll want to play…’

‘Well, for someone like that, you seem to be living quite earnestly. Anyway, look around carefully, you might have forgotten something. By the way, this is a major bleeding service.’

‘If it’s major bleeding, isn’t this too stingy? Tell me more.’

‘No more than this, customer.’

‘Selling things without substance makes you a fraud, you know?’

It was a conversation from at least over a year ago. If what I had forgotten was really Maria, then Maria was…

I reached out and took the handkerchief. And immediately after that, light exploded.

“Catch her! Shana!”

At the same time Renate pulled me into his arms, we were sent flying somewhere.

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