The Immortal Duke’s Physician Is an Internist - Chapter 4

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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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Four in the morning.
The aide’s sleeping chamber held only shallow breathing. Blassion sat in the chair beside the bed, staring at his own hands.
“Be quiet! If you’ve nothing to do, at least hold his hand!”
He knew full well that the woman had meant for him to hold the aide’s hand. But he chose not to listen.
It fascinated him—the way those delicate hands wielded the scalpel without hesitation. He found himself curious about her physiology, wondering where such a Lion’s Roar could emanate from a frame so small.
So he had taken her hand. Wondering if perhaps she, too, was something extraordinary like himself.
But.
‘…It was just a small hand, after all.’
Knock-knock.
The sound cut through his thoughts like a blade. Moments later, a young man in uniform entered—dark hair and blue eyes lending him an air of neat composure.
“My apologies, Your Grace. I was unable to prevent another suicide attempt. However, as always, Monkshood Concentrate was employed.”
Blassion recalled the sixteenth physician and the twenty-third physician, both having taken their own lives with the same poison.
Coincidence twice over might be forgiven. But a third time is no accident—it is inevitability.
There was undoubtedly someone giving orders, a mastermind behind it all. Having reached this conclusion, Blassion gave a slow nod.
“It is not your fault. Dispose of the body discreetly.”
“I shall obey at once.”
The young man bowed and turned his gaze toward the bed. Caelan, sensing the look, cracked his eyes open slightly.
“…Everain. I died and came back to life.”
“So it would seem. By the way, what is that tube sticking out of his chest?”
Having heard the full account, Everain’s eyes widened in genuine shock.
“This is a treatment method I have never encountered. And that is a distillation tube, is it not? To insert a non-medical instrument into the lungs and extract air like this…was the practitioner a seasoned physician?”
“No. She is a young woman who has only just turned twenty.”
“A lady so young performed such an aggressive procedure?”
The taciturn guard of honor gazed at the tube protruding from his comrade’s chest and the water bottle connected below it, then let out a sound of admiration. Caelan, who had been reclining at an angle, ventured cautiously to speak.
“…Your Grace. Has she become aware of your secret?”
“…”
Silence served as affirmation. Caelan opened his mouth again.
“Will you eliminate her?”
The duke did not answer. Everain straightened himself and stepped before his lord.
“Your Grace. This woman may be different from the charlatans who have come before her. Would you not consider it?”
“Consider what?”
“Formally employing her as your personal physician.”
The duke’s brow twitched. Hearing his colleague’s words, Caelan too offered his own view.
“I share that sentiment. Of course, I am aware that you distrust physicians, Your Grace…but she may be the one to fulfill your long-held desire.”
The duke looked down at his own hands once more. Still, the impudent girl’s voice echoed in his ears.
“Why are you so sluggish? Move faster, hurry up!”
Without thinking, Blassion let out a quiet laugh. At this unexpected reaction, his two subordinates exchanged a subtle glance.
-Did you see that?
-I did.
-After living this long, he’s finally los—
“…Everain. What are William and Eily doing now?”
Everain’s expression darkened visibly.
“Their condition has deteriorated further since the last time you saw them.”
“Good.”
Blassion rose from his seat. What he intended to do next, neither Caelan nor Everain found difficult to anticipate.
* * *
When Lionel opened her eyes, the sun was already high in the sky. As she stepped outside, a maid guided her to the Reception Room. There sat the duke on a sofa, with jerky and orange juice laid out before him.
“…Is there nothing else to eat in this manor besides jerky?”
The duke answered flatly.
“A meal is sufficient if it satiates hunger.”
“Ah, yes…”
So the lavish employee benefits contained nothing regarding meals because the employer had lost his sense of taste.
Lionel found herself missing the card her professor would sometimes toss her way with orders to buy herself a meal. She even thought of the Delivery App, which had been her sole comfort during her three consecutive duty shifts.
‘Eating is such a joyful and important act. Does everyone become like this after living so long?’
As Lionel chewed the jerky with discontent written across her face, the duke suddenly spoke.
“I will give you another chance, Doctor.”
Gulp. Lionel swallowed the jerky hastily. The duke, paying no mind to her reaction, continued his explanation.
“There is a patient for you to treat. A stable master who has worked at this manor for ten years. He has been shown to many physicians, yet none have been able to cure him.”
“What is the stable master’s name?”
“It’s William.”
“Ah⋯⋯.”
Now that she thought about it, the name had seemed oddly familiar—it was one that appeared in the Original Work.
William Leckster. In the story, he was a fatherly figure who treated the Female Lead with genuine kindness and cared for her well. Thanks to him, the Female Lead adapted quickly to the Manor, and she was able to close the distance between herself and the Male Lead without difficulty.
‘It looks like the Original Work hasn’t started yet⋯⋯. So if I treat Mr. William well, the Female Lead who appears later won’t be in trouble, right?’
Having thought it through, Lionel made the offer herself.
“Understood. Let me meet the patient first. I’ll examine him.”
“Doctor Frenscia. Do you understand the gravity of this situation?”
The Duke narrowed his eyes as he looked at Lionel. A chill emanated from his sculptural face.
“Do you not understand what I meant by ‘opportunity’?”
“Of course I do. You meant you’d kill me if I couldn’t treat Mr. William, right?”
It was Blassion who fell silent at her matter-of-fact answer. Lionel shrugged once and continued.
“Well, I don’t want to die either⋯⋯. I’m sure I can treat him. So please, let me meet the patient.”
Her words weren’t baseless bluffing.
‘Surely the Original Work hasn’t even started yet—a major supporting character wouldn’t die now. Definitely, some talented doctor will appear and treat him, and he’ll recover to meet the Female Lead.’
That’s right. Lionel wasn’t betting on herself—she was betting on the inevitability of the Original Work.
So there was no way Mr. William, who had the role of Bridge Role between the Female Lead and the Male Lead, would die.
Maybe that talented doctor was herself. Perhaps this was actually the role of Lionel Frenscia within the Original Work?
“So promise me too, Duke. Once I treat Mr. William safely, hire me as your official physician. Of course, I’ll take a competitive salary.”
A sound—ha, ha—came from the Duke’s lips. Whether it was laughter or a sigh was unclear, but either way, it was certain he wouldn’t kill Lionel right here and now.
“Follow me.”
Lionel followed the Duke as instructed.
After passing through a long, ornate corridor, Blassion led her outside the building entirely, toward an Annex Cottage adjoining the Garden.
Just as they reached the middle of the Garden, a door suddenly flew open and a red-haired girl burst out.
“Your Grace! Hello! But who is this lady⋯⋯?”
The Duke gave the girl a light glance, then explained to Lionel.
“William’s daughter. Her name is Eily. She’s nine years old.”
‘She has a daughter? There was no mention of that in the Original Work.’
While Lionel was puzzling over this, Eily spotted her bag and cried out.
“Are you a doctor?”
“Oh, yes. Hi, Eily. I’m Lionel. Could you show the doctor to your father?”
Eily immediately wrapped her arms around Lionel’s. The child’s rosy cheeks and bright red, curly hair were endearing.
“Doctor. Can men get pregnant too?”
“Huh?”
“Dad’s belly keeps getting bigger and bigger. I thought a baby was coming, but he said there’s no baby. And his face is really dark.”
Dark skin, a belly swollen like a balloon.
As the child innocently described her father’s symptoms, an ominous feeling crept over Lionel.
‘Ah⋯⋯. This doesn’t feel right⋯⋯.’
Lionel entered the room.
“Dad!! A new doctor has come! But she’s a lady! And she’s really pretty!”
At Eily’s words, Mr. William, who lay in the bed, slowly turned his head.
A darkened face and yellow eyes came into view first. The moment Lionel saw the swollen belly, she froze in place.
‘Ah⋯⋯.’
Scenes she had seen all too often in the Gastroenterology Department flashed through her mind.
Patients with darkened faces and pregnant-looking bellies, shuffling about like zombies, wheezing for breath.
Mr. William’s condition matched exactly those patients she had seen there.
Lionel felt heat rise to her face.
The shame was unbearable—the shame of herself from just five minutes ago, when she’d claimed to be some sort of genius doctor.
“⋯⋯Eily. Could you step outside for a moment? I need to speak with the Duke briefly.”
“Okay, Doctor! I’ll wait!”
Fortunately, Eily didn’t press further and went inside. After quietly closing the door, Lionel faced the Duke.
She took a short breath, then lifted her head.
“I apologize, Your Grace.”
What was I thinking, being so confident? From the moment I, with memories of my previous life, became the Duke’s physician, the Original Work had already begun to twist. With that self-deprecating thought, Lionel continued in a carefully composed voice.

“I⋯⋯ cannot save Mr. William.”

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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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