The Immortal Duke’s Physician Is an Internist - Chapter 27

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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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“Master! Hurry and escort His Grace out of here—aaaagh!!”
Kaerun’s voice cut short. He flew backward helplessly, crashing into the corner of the Reception Room.
Crash! Tinkle-tinkle!
A decorative cabinet in the corner toppled over with a terrible clang.
“Advisor!!”
Lavienne, who had shoved Kaerun aside, straightened up. The moment I saw her eyes—burned a deep red—I finally understood what was happening.
“You’re controlling Lavienne’s body…? From a distance?”
“No, physician. Your logic’s backward.”
Lavienne chuckled darkly and raised one arm. A crimson chain-like tattoo was etched across her wrist.
“The Frencia couple surrendered their bodies to me of their own accord. We always welcome new Test Subjects into our ranks.”
The original work had established that when a Black Magic practitioner inscribed a Marking on someone’s body, that person could be controlled. It was a standard trope in the source material.
I didn’t need long to piece together what had befallen the Frencia household.
The couple’s debts had spiraled exponentially until nothing remained but their bodies. They must have made a bargain with the Black Magic practitioner who came knocking at just the right moment.
“No, no, no…! Lionel, if things go on like this, you’ll really die. Your father will really die too!!”
In other words, if I didn’t marry the Count as planned, the Black Magic practitioner would claim our souls.
“Family faces are so convenient. Thanks to that, I slipped right in and had the perfect chance to run the Duke through.”
Lavienne stepped closer and picked up the short dagger. I moved to shield the Duke.
She let out a contemptuous laugh.
“Don’t be difficult. Move aside now, and I’ll settle for just one of the Duke’s arms.”
“As if you have any say in this!!”
“Don’t test my patience, Lionel Frencia.”
Lavienne’s brow furrowed deeply.
It was the same poisonous expression she’d worn as a girl, nagging me for not scrubbing the floors well enough.
‘There’s still a chance.’
I kept my eyes fixed on the trembling of Lavienne’s hand. Her face remained pallid, her breathing ragged.
I held my head up stiffly and spoke.
“You know, I thought you at least played the part of a physician decently with your medicines. But looking at you now, your skill is utterly sloppy. Not a shred of sense either.”
“…What do you mean? If you’re just stalling with nonsense, it won’t work.”
“You really are foolish. Still don’t understand what I’m saying?”
I let out a contemptuous laugh, just as she had.
“If you’re going to operate a Test Subject, you need to keep her body properly maintained!”
“Aaaaaaaagh!!”
The moment those words left my lips, Kaerun, sprawled on the floor, lunged toward Lavienne.
Though under the Black Magic practitioner’s control, a middle-aged woman’s body was hardly robust. Lavienne, seized by the waist, tumbled across the floor with Kaerun.
“How dare you—!”
Lavienne tried to swing the dagger. But her body no longer obeyed the Black Magic practitioner’s will.
Her complexion darkening by the moment, Lavienne finally dropped the blade and collapsed. A low, ragged voice cried out.
“Why—why isn’t this working?!”
“Even a Test Subject needs proper meals, you fool. You have no strength—you can’t even stand.”
Lavienne was diabetic.
There was no way the Black Magic practitioner had fed her body properly, and now she’d fallen into hypoglycemia.
No matter how skilled a Black Magic practitioner, they couldn’t control a body in hypoglycemic shock.
“Kaerun, Master! Get back—move!!”
The Duke’s sudden shout made us flinch backward. Once he’d confirmed safe distance, he extended his blood-soaked hand.
“Out of my house. Now!!”
A blue light engulfed Lavienne. Chains of densely woven radiance bound her, crushing and strangling her until—
“Aaaaaaaagh!”
With a single scream, Lavienne went limp.
The crimson tattoo on her arm had turned pitch black. The connection to the Black Magic practitioner was severed.
The Reception Room lay in ruins.
The Duke, barely standing, collapsed.
“Your Grace!!”
I rushed to him, but I couldn’t support his weight. We both crumpled to the ground together.
“Hah… hah…”
His breathing was shallow and irregular. I could feel the faint pulse of his heart through his blood-soaked clothes.
“Your Grace. Stay with me. You’re an Immortal. Please… please…”
The Duke’s lips moved, but the sound was too faint for me to hear.
He closed his eyes as though drifting to sleep.
I didn’t notice someone approaching the Reception Room, my gaze fixed on his face.
“……My physician.”
I looked up to find Everain standing in the doorway. Behind him, knights who had entered with him were helping Lavienne and Kaerun to their feet.
“Sir Everain.”
Everain’s face was haggard as he looked between me and the Duke in turn, then clenched his teeth hard.
“I will take you to a place where we can treat you, Your Grace.”
He extended his hand to me.
“I’m terribly sorry for arriving so late.”
* * *
It was a night both long and brief.
Lavienne, who had fallen into Hypoglycemia, came to her senses after consuming juice and candy.
On her knees, she explained the circumstances that had led her to contract with the Black Mage.
“Count Marseya found out that Ruen had fled and demanded I repay the money immediately. He said if I didn’t, he’d sell me to a slave merchant…….”
“So the Black Mage approached you at that moment?”
“All I had to do was get into the Duke’s residence and meet the Duke……. But I, I stabbed someone, I stabbed a…….”
Lavienne’s hands trembled violently. I rose from my seat with a long sigh.
“Tomorrow, someone will emerge from the Magic Tower. Having conspired with the Black Mage and stabbed a person, you won’t escape punishment.”
The knights seized both of Lavienne’s arms. She thrashed against them.
“Let go! Don’t lay your hands on me!!”
“You still haven’t come to your senses, have you? You’re a Criminal now. Out of respect for old times, I’ll ask them to manage your blood sugar for you. Of course, in prison.”
“Ahhhhh!! Lionel! You ungrateful wretch, forgetting the kindness I showed you!!”
Lavienne spewed meaningless curses as she was dragged away.
Only after her form had completely vanished did I release a long breath.
I was still wearing clothes soaked with the Duke’s blood.
But I had no mental energy to change. There was somewhere else I needed to go.
I passed through the corridor and climbed the stairs, arriving at the Duke’s Chamber where I paused to take a deep breath.
“Come in.”
Sensing my presence, Kaerun called to me from within. As I opened the door and entered, he greeted me from a simple chair, his face drawn and exhausted.
“Are you alright, Advisor?”
“I’ve only minor bruises, so there’s no concern. However…….”
Kaerun turned his gaze away with a bitter expression.
At the end of that gaze lay the Duke, stretched out rigidly upon the bed.
I had done everything I could manage, but in truth, it amounted to nothing more than stitching the wounds and applying pressure bandages.
The trauma was of such severity that an ordinary person would have been dead long ago, so there was little else I could do.
“I’ll take over the watch now. You should get some rest, Advisor. We’ll switch places again in the morning.”
Kaerun hesitated for a moment before accepting my offer.
After he departed, I sat in the chair he had occupied.
The Duke lay perfectly still, like a corpse. The heart that had raced in the immediate aftermath of his wounds gradually slowed as time passed, and the moment I finished treatment, it ceased almost at once.
I had thought him truly dead at first, but that was not the case. The Duke exhaled shallow breaths at intervals, and his body still retained warmth.
He was, in essence, in a Moribund State.
‘In the original story, when Everain and the Black Mage cornered the Duke together. Did they use the Silver Sword then as well?’
The possibility was quite substantial. Likely, even now, the Black Mage had learned that information from Everain.
‘If, by this course, the Duke truly dies…….’
Merely entertaining that thought made my heart plummet.
Surely I had been desperately seeking a way for him to die, and if he were to die now, I ought to be relieved at being spared the trouble.
Yet, paradoxically…….
I found this image of him lying corpse-like unbearably repugnant.
“……?”
My eyes caught something as I lowered my head in confusion.
A Wooden Box beneath the bed.
‘What is this?’
I retrieved the box and laid it upon my lap.
The aging timber bore the patina of years, and though the lock itself was not fastened, the handle showed a polished smoothness from frequent opening and closing.
“……Your Grace. May I open this?”
Naturally, there was no answer. After a moment’s hesitation, I opened the box. And…….
“……What?”
Inside lay a photograph at the very top—one of the Duke and me together.

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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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