The Immortal Duke’s Physician Is an Internist - Chapter 13

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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“What… what sort of potion is that? Besides, Lionel doesn’t care about appearances. She’ll love me just as I am……”
“Asking someone to love you as you are is the cry of a failure.”
Adrian flinched at the man’s words, and the man in the robe clicked his tongue.
“Inner Beauty — sure, it matters. But you’re stuck on a problem that comes before that. Look in the mirror and think about it objectively. Does your face right now really make someone want to look deeper inside?”
At his words, Adrian’s gaze shifted away.
He looked at his massive reflection filling the entire full-length mirror.
“Not just Lionel — what woman would feel love for you? Want to kiss you? She’d be lucky if she didn’t run away in disgust.”
The man was right. Adrian had tried hard to ignore it, but the truth was his current appearance wasn’t just unattractive—it was repulsive.
A double chin, a belly rippling with fat, eyes dull and lifeless, skin covered in acne, mouth smeared with cake crumbs—who would ever love such a thing?
“Then… what should I do?”
Adrian’s voice wavered.
“My face is ugly, my body is fat, my character is cowardly… I’m repulsive……”
“That’s exactly why I brought this. A Weight-Loss Potion.”
The man in the robe extended a glass vial. His voice carried absolute conviction as he pressed on.
“Apply this to your belly. Within a few weeks, you’ll see results.”
Adrian took the vial almost without thinking. It was capped with a sharp-pointed stopper, and inside, a transparent liquid gleamed.
“Really? If I do exactly as you say… the weight will come off?”
“Of course. I guarantee the results. Lionel’s a physician—she knows how hard it is to lose weight. She’ll look at you differently then.”
Adrian had tried dieting before. But every attempt had failed, and each time he’d rebounded into binge eating, gaining even more weight.
Yet now, a single potion promised to change that. It wasn’t just tempting—it was desperately appealing.
“What do you want from me?”
The man smiled broadly.
“Nothing, no price needed. In return, I’ll watch from a distance as you transform. That alone will satisfy me.”
“Really? Just that?”
“Yes, just that.”
With those words, there was nothing left to hesitate about.
Adrian unscrewed the cap. He gripped the thick fold of his belly and inverted the vial against his skin.
“…For Lionel…!”
Without hesitation, Adrian pressed the vial to his stomach. The spot where it touched blazed red, and the liquid inside vanished into his body.
“Well done, Adrian. Everything’s going to work out now.”
The man in the robe grinned. A brief red glow flickered beneath his billowing robes, then faded.
* * *
“Wow, this place is incredible! It’s so much bigger than I expected!”
I marveled at the endless rows of shops and stalls, and Everain beside me gave a light nod.
“It’s thanks to Lumiere Harbor nearby. Goods from all over the world converge here, which is why the marketplace has grown so large.”
“It rivals the marketplace in the Capital. Where exactly is that macaron shop we’re looking for?”
“Just a bit further, then right down that alley.”
Yesterday, I had declared an end to the Rapid Aging Diet entirely.
For four weeks, the Duke had faithfully undergone the regimen and was still eating chocolate and biscuits right up until that final moment.
“It was quite an enjoyable time.”
At his brief remark, I smiled bitterly.
“I’m glad it was enjoyable for you. I must say, I’m rather disappointed.”
“The people of this household won’t share that sentiment.”
The Duke was right.
House of Carceydo had escaped the three-meals-a-day jerky hell. Their master had recovered his appetite.
The servants, grateful, bowed deeply each time they saw me.
‘Well, I didn’t achieve the original goal, but I suppose I should be grateful. At least now I get to buy expensive desserts like this.’
Lily, who’d grown close to me through the Rapid Aging Diet, was well-versed in sweets as any teenager would be.
When I mentioned the dessert shop she’d recommended to Caylen, he suddenly volunteered to get authorization……
And so I found myself purchasing macarons for every single person in the household.
Thanks to the Duke’s consideration, Everain had accompanied me as both escort and guide.
“Everain, what is that?”
“That is what we call a Tapestry—a textile artwork created by interlacing thread.”
“Oh! Young lady, you have an eye for fine things!”
The Merchant, overhearing our conversation, stepped outside.
“This piece was created with meticulous care by a master craftsman from the Crimina Kingdom who has spent forty years perfecting the art of tapestry. See this creature here? It’s the Monster Wyvern, known as the guardian of the kingdom.”
“Oh……”
The Crimina Kingdom.
That was a name I knew well.
That land was the male lead’s birthplace in the original work, and it had become a fallen kingdom, swallowed by the Lyzenberke Empire and erased from the maps long ago.
‘Back then, the Duke helped a princess escape an arranged marriage she despised, and he suffered a fatal wound for it.’
No matter how dire the kingdom’s crisis, being married off like chattel to an old man—and as a second wife, no less—would have been unbearable. I could understand that much.
In a similar position myself, I could grasp something of the princess’s suffering.
“Crimina Kingdom disappeared long ago—how could anything from it still be here?”
History was history, after all. When I pressed with a skeptical gaze, the Merchant’s brow furrowed.
“Look at this exquisite color and the meticulous weave! Only a true artisan from Crimina could achieve such craftsmanship. This must have belonged to someone from the royal palace itself……. Ah, but it’s wasted on those who cannot appreciate fine goods. You needn’t bother buying it!”
Fine—no sale, then. Just as I turned to leave, Everain suddenly stepped in beside me.
“I’ll take it.”
“I beg your pardon?”
“Allow me to purchase it for you.”
“Ah! A true knight with a discerning eye, I see! One moment, please!”
Before I could protest, Everain had already paid. He then thrust the rolled Tapestry into my hands.
I tried to return it in confusion.
“Why? Why would you buy this for me?”
“It is the Duke’s wish. He said that should you see anything you desire in the Marketplace, I should procure it for you.”
“But why?”
“You saved Caylen’s life, and you’ve been of great service to the household. I, too, feel grateful.”
I had only done my duty, nothing more. As I hesitated, Everain spoke again.
“I observed where the physician looked carefully. You showed no interest in jewelry or clothing. But the moment you saw this, your eyes changed.”
“I didn’t know you watched me so closely……”
“Then please accept it. The payment has already been made—there’s no refund.”
Pressed by his repeated offers, I finally relented. I clutched the Tapestry to my chest and bowed respectfully.
“Thank you, Everain. I’ll hang it beautifully in my consultation room.”
Everain returned the bow with equal formality. Watching that disciplined gesture, I felt that familiar pang of regret.
‘Ah, such a handsome and upright young man—he deserves to find happiness in this life……’
He had failed in the original work, but I hoped that my male lead would find happiness with the female lead instead.
I genuinely wished for that.
‘I’m already twisting the original story with such effort—surely this isn’t a vain dream?’
Once the Duke died, if I could arrange a meeting between the female lead and my male lead, love might bloom naturally.
Having thought this far, I spoke without warning.
“Everain, you have a younger sister, don’t you?”
My sudden question made his eyes widen.
“How did you…… know that?”
“Your deputy mentioned it. He said she’s about my age.”
Of course, Caylen had told me no such thing—it was a lie. But thankfully, he let it pass easily.
“Yes, that’s correct. She’s currently recuperating elsewhere due to health concerns.”
That detail matched the original story perfectly. I ventured carefully forward.
“Could your sister possibly be……”
Bang!!
My words scattered unfinished in all directions. With the blast, I was thrown sideways.
“Ugh……!”
A blinding crimson flash seared my vision; I ducked my head. In the instant chaos that consumed the Marketplace, someone screamed.
“A Black Mage! A Black Mage has appeared!!”
‘A Black Mage?’
Barely opening my eyes, a figure materialized before me—a man wrapped entirely in a black robe.
“Hello, Lionel Frencia.”
‘He knows who I am?’
His low voice sent chills down my spine. As I stumbled backward, Everain leapt forward.
“Stand back!”
His blade tore through the air. The Black Mage retreated leisurely, then lifted himself skyward.
“Lovely to meet you, Lionel. Until we meet again.”
Another surge of brilliant red light engulfed everything. When my vision cleared, the mage had vanished.
“Master, are you unharmed? Are you injured anywhere?”
I nodded to Everain’s words. As I patted myself down, checking for any wounds, I noticed something.
My trouser pocket felt empty.
“I’m not hurt, but I think I’ve lost something.”
“What have you lost?”
I sighed faintly before answering.
“My Pocket Watch.”

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