The Immortal Duke’s Physician Is an Internist - Chapter 38

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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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“My heart responds to your tears.”
‘When I said that, my face definitely flushed a little. Was I imagining things?’
Of course, I swear by heaven I didn’t say it to try and win over my physician in some shameless way. There wasn’t the slightest trace of impropriety in my intent.
It was simply quite a significant event in my life—a discovery, really—and so I shared it, but……
“Perhaps it’s possible that your tears are triggering an allergic reaction in me?”
The physician neatly categorized it all as an “allergy” response in one breath, then declared with remarkable flatness that she would use my tears as an experimental tool.
‘Couldn’t you have shown a slightly more emotional response? Do all science majors come across like this?’
Blaming the hapless science student changed nothing. Blassion finally gave a name to this tangled skein of feeling.
It was disappointment.
Directed at that young physician who had dismissed his confession—the most significant of his entire life—with such a cold, clinical gaze.
Yet the moment he admitted to the disappointment, he felt utterly pathetic.
‘Seven hundred years my senior, and I’m hurt over a child…… My brain must have withered away from age.’
Blassion irritably flipped the mirror face-down. The sound made Kaelyun’s shoulders jolt.
“So? What’s the report for today?”
Blassion asked, his brow drawn tight.
Kaelyun, who had been reading the room carefully, produced documents with measured caution.
“Your Grace. According to the ‘records,’ this year is when Blassion Carseido turns thirty.”
The documents Kaelyun brought out were the Duke’s own birth certificate.
Normally, a parent submits this to the authorities after a child is born, but Blassion had filled out his own birth certificate multiple times over.
It was because he had maintained Identity Laundering as a descendant of the Carseido Ducal House for hundreds of years, generation after generation.
Of course, such Identity Laundering required meticulous preparation.
Blassion let slip a remark that would make anyone assume he was a rake of the highest order.
“……I suppose I’ll have to marry again.”
To preserve the facade that a son of a son’s son had been born in succession.
Over the past seven hundred and twenty years, Blassion had held regular wedding ceremonies.
Of course, while the appearance was splendid, the bride was merely a hired temporary worker, paid for the occasion.
“Find a reasonably young woman and hire her for the day. Pay her whatever she wants, with the condition that she leaves far away once the ceremony ends.”
“Why go to the trouble of finding someone new? Isn’t there someone nearby?”
Kaelyun answered with a subtle smile. Blassion turned to his subordinate with a flat expression.
“Who?”
“A woman in her twenties, loves money, responsible, keeps secrets well. And someone who understands your circumstances thoroughly. Isn’t there an ideal candidate nearby?”
As Kaelyun rattled off his suggestions enthusiastically, Everein cut in.
“Kaelyun. Surely you’re not suggesting the physician take on the role of bride?”
“Why? Is there any reason she couldn’t?”
“She was hired here as your physician, nothing more. It would be an imposition to ask her to undertake any other duties.”
Kaelyun shrugged.
“If any woman will do, what reason could there be for the physician not to? Unless… you’re opposed for some other reason?”
“I’m not—!”
While his two subordinates bickered, Blassion fell into thought.
And soon he spoke.
“I’ll hire the physician as my bride.”
“Ah…! A wise decision, sir!”
“It’s a temporary position anyway. If it doesn’t matter who it is, I’d prefer someone who requires no lengthy explanation. Kaelyun, make the arrangements.”
“Yes, understood! Leave it to me.”
Kaelyun, who seemed delighted, and Everein, who wore an unmistakably displeased expression, soon left the Office.
Blassion recalled the physician’s face from this morning when she was talking about allergies, and let out a soft laugh.
‘I wonder what kind of reaction she’ll show when I ask her to be my bride.’
Blassion wanted to summon the physician right away.
And he did not realize that he was anticipating her shy response.
* * *
Summoned by Kaelyun, I found myself alone with the Duke in the Reception Room.
I had been worried earlier in the Examination Room when he seemed uneasy, but his expression now looked quite well.
‘I’m not sure what happened, but at least he’s in a better mood. Trying to read my employer is incredibly exhausting.’
It was the moment I had relaxed, quietly sipping my tea.
“You’re fired.”
The Duke, seated across from me, delivered this notice.
“Lionel Frencia, I hereby inform you that your employment contract with me ends today.”
I opened my eyes wide and protested.
“Excuse me? I’ve only been employed for three months.”
“The beauty of being a contract employee is you can invent reasons to fire someone whenever you please. Surely you knew that?”
Since you said nothing, I assumed you’d hold on until the full year was through.
I thought the union was someone else’s concern—we were just contract workers, after all.
‘Didn’t we grow closer? What happened to all that talk about my heart racing, and now… this betrayal…!’
Though it had only been three months, I found myself seething as I recalled all those days of struggle.
But I lacked the courage to protest. The Duke, watching me squirm, finally spoke.
“However, should you wish to continue as my personal physician, I can rehire you starting today on new terms.”
The Duke slid a new contract across the desk. I took it in my hands and gasped.
“This is a full-time employment contract? And a two-hundred-percent salary increase….”
A salary raise, provision of an examination room, paid leave, travel expenses covered—
My eyes swept across conditions so generous they practically gleamed, until one line made me pause.
“But what’s this? ‘When required by the employer, the employee shall perform the role of the Duke’s wife.'”
“As you well know, I have spent generations playing the descendants of the Carseido Ducal House. Which means I must periodically announce to society that I have married.”
“So you’re saying… you’ll appoint a fake wife because actually marrying would be inconvenient?”
“Whenever I need it, you simply stand beside me and play the role. Nothing more.”
I studied the contract, lost in thought.
‘Whenever I need it’—that phrasing troubled me. But losing this position was far worse.
I had no desire to return to the Empty Baron’s Estate. Count Marseya might learn of my situation and come bothering me again.
‘Besides, the view isn’t bad at all.’
Someone once said the greatest benefit of working at the Carseido Estate was the employer’s face.
I found myself in complete agreement.
“So—will you sign, or won’t you?”
I held out the contract.
“Regarding the duchess duties—please add a condition that you only use my services during the 9-to-6 work hours. For any work outside those hours, I’ll need overtime pay.”
The Duke picked up his pen. A faint smile played at his lips.
“Gladly.”
We both signed swiftly.
It was an outcome I never saw coming, but I had become a full-time employee.
‘Now he can’t just fire me on a whim…!’
Of course, I still had that one-year promise hanging over me.
Regardless, I was trembling with excitement at finally holding the title of full-time employee.
“Thank you, Duke. I’ve worked hard until now, and I promise to work even harder going forward!”
As I bowed respectfully, the Duke answered at once.
“Your attitude is excellent. I’d like you to begin duties immediately.”
“Of course. What should I do first?”
“Attend a wedding. As the bride.”
“Ah, yes. Of course that would be— …pardon?”
At my reaction, the Duke seemed genuinely bewildered.
“Did you mishear me? I clearly said I must announce my marriage to society in timely fashion. Obviously there will be a wedding ceremony. A lavish one—grand enough for rumors of it to spread across the entire Empire.”
The original story did mention that the Duke had performed an elaborate marriage charade for identity purposes.
But at that point, I’d thought he simply held a quick ceremony at a church and moved on.
So why did he suddenly want such an extravagant wedding this time?
He’d never even done this with the heroine!
“So you’re saying… you’ll hold a wedding to establish that you’re the son of Blassion Carseido? To create the narrative that you’ve married and fathered an heir?”
“Correct. I’ve always done it that way. Of course, if you manage to find the method of my death, it will all become unnecessary. But I cannot yet be certain of that.”
Unable to produce an immediate solution, I had no grounds to argue.
But something else was occupying my thoughts.
“I have a question for you, Duke.”
“What is it?”
“If you’ve been impersonating the descendants of Carseido all this time, that would mean all the previous Dukes are supposed to be dead, correct?”
“That’s right.”
“In that case, I have a proposal.”
Ever since the day I opened his treasure box, I had been thinking about this.
The Duke’s time, frozen like a burned-out pocket watch.
Trapped forever in the past, unable to live in the present—I wanted to do something for him.
“Instead of announcing your wedding to society, what if we held…”
I drew a breath before continuing.
“…a funeral for the previous Duke, Ricar Carseido?”

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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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