The Immortal Duke’s Physician Is an Internist - Chapter 54

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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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“Teacher.”
The Duke called out to me, pulling me back from old memories. His eyes were full of concern.
“If it’s too difficult, you don’t have to go in. Wait here.”
“…No, it’s fine. I’ll go.”
I had to go.
I’d come this far because I wanted to understand why I’d had to part from Mother.
He waited until I drew near, then opened the door first.
Creak—
Dust rose from the house that had slumbered so long. I glanced around, then froze as something caught my eye.
“What is it?”
The Duke, who’d been surveying the space with me, asked. I pointed to a kettle in the kitchen.
“There’s nothing particularly strange about a kettle in the kitchen.”
“…You’re right. It’s not strange.”
I looked up at the Duke.
“But now I think I can finally understand why I alone didn’t catch that epidemic back then.”
A bench still remained in the Village’s Town Square. After waiting a moment, people who’d scattered throughout the Village gathered together.
“Where’s Theo?”
“The Count wanted to relieve himself, so I took him along.”
“Poor Theo. He’s having quite an ordeal.”
“So, did you figure anything out?”
Debright asked. I nodded.
I hadn’t understood back then, but now—with a physician’s knowledge—certain things were visible to my eyes.
The epidemic that had swept through this place was likely Cholera.
My suspicion was based on what people had told me then.
“White diarrhea just kept coming. Really… and then they collapsed and died in the toilet.”
“Their bowels emptied in torrents and then the person became a walking corpse. It was truly so sudden.”
Back in those days, the Village’s sanitation infrastructure wasn’t well developed. People collected feces separately to use as fertilizer or simply dumped it into the river.
Naturally, the Cholera bacteria spread along the river and contaminated the Well and the Village’s paddies.
“There’s a disease called Cholera. People have white diarrhea madly and then die. The villagers all drank water infected with Cholera bacteria and caught the same illness. But back then I was a picky eater—I only ate cooked food and drank boiled barley tea—so I stayed healthy. Though one mystery still remains.”
“What is that, miss?”
“Where did the first infected person contract the Cholera bacteria from? I wondered if perhaps a Werewolf had bitten them and transmitted it… but I don’t recall any such incident happening.”
The Duke asked me.
“Did no one from the Village go outside?”
“I’m not sure.”
“Or did anyone from outside ever come to the Village?”
“Count Marseya came to our Village back then. I was seven.”
Now, suddenly curious about something I hadn’t questioned before. Why had he, a Count from the Capital, come to our Village? The Duke, sharing the same suspicion, nodded.
“Too fortunate to be coincidence. Everain. It seems we might need to rough up the Count a bit.”
“Leave it to me, sir. I’ll be very thorough about it.”
How do they coordinate like that so smoothly when what they’re really saying is they want to beat someone senseless?
I let out a light sigh and called Debright.
“Archmage. Shall we begin our investigation?”
“Investigation?”
“There might still be traces of what caused the epidemic left in the Well.”
“Ah, that makes sense. You’re right. Understood, let’s go together.”
I stood up.
“Then, Duke. The two of us will take a look at the Well and return shortly.”
“By the way, Everain. Why hasn’t Theo come back yet?”
“…It seems to be taking longer than expected. I’ll go find him.”
Listening to the Duke and Everain’s exchange, we headed toward the Well.
* * *
When Theo mentioned needing to relieve himself, he had no choice but to head into the Grass Field with the Count.
He was thoroughly irritated and rushed the Count.
“If you’re going to do your business, do it quickly. I’ll wait here.”
“You brat, how dare you speak informally to me! You are a commoner and I am a Count!”
Now that they were separated from those terrifying beings, the Count seemed emboldened. He snapped at Theo.
Theo didn’t blink an eye and shot back.
“Why are you making such a fuss when your noble title’s going to be stripped anyway? Should I call the Duke right now and ask him to bury you here?”
“…Now, young knight. There’s something I must tell you—urgently.”
The Count flinched for a moment, then continued in a grave voice.
“The Duke you serve is a Vampire.”
“……What?”
“He isn’t the real Duke Blassion Carseido. He’s been drinking blood to maintain eternal youth. For a very long time now.”
It was an old rumor that had circulated through House of Carseido for years.
Theo’s eyes widened as he recalled hearing whispers of it before.
“Exactly! Remember when we held the funeral for the late Count Richardt Carseido? It was all a lie, a deception! The late Duke and the current Duke are the same person.”
As Theo’s eyes grew even wider, the Count took this as affirmation and spoke faster still.
“How can I stay silent knowing this? Young knight, let me go to the Capital as I am. Then I’ll expose that monster’s secret to the entire world——”
“So let’s say the Duke is a Vampire. So what?”
Theo cut the Count off mid-sentence. The Count sputtered in confusion.
“Wh-well……I, I mean, if you leave a monster like that alone, there’s bound to be a problem——”
“If the Duke is a Vampire, what’s the problem besides the ‘cool’ factor? He pays on time, treats people with respect, doesn’t hit on young women like his granddaughter, and he’s handsome to boot. Objectively speaking, he’s a far better Vampire than you are a man.”
The Count’s mouth simply gaped open and shut like a goldfish.
He didn’t understand the word ‘cool,’ but he understood well enough that his plan had failed.
Theo narrowed his eyes dangerously and placed a hand on his sword.
“Say one more ridiculous thing like that and I’ll decide it’s slander. Then I’ll cut off whatever I feel like. So hurry up and do your business.”
“Ah, a-ah……I understand! I understand! But loosen these! How am I supposed to go with my hands tied like this?!”
The Count held out his tightly bound hands in supplication. Theo replied without sympathy.
“Squat down and go like that.”
“How am I supposed to clean up after?!”
“It’s your backside, not mine. Figure it out yourself. Now move!”
“Ah, I understand, just…… step back a little…….”
Having been refused every request, the Count begged for at least the minimum dignity. Theo finally took a few steps back.
“I’ll wait. Be quick about it.”
The Count sat down in the grass field as he was. He seemed about to lower his breeches when he pulled something from inside them instead.
A small, bean-like Mana Stone, transparent in color.
Theo shouted the moment he recognized it.
“You——!”
“Don’t come near!”
The Count’s cry came faster than Theo’s lunge for the Mana Stone.
Boom!!
Light engulfed the area around the Count in an instant. Theo was sent flying like a spring and slammed his head into a tree.
Theo lifted his head from the ground. In the distance, he saw the Count standing with a triumphant expression.
“Damn bastard…….”
He’d thought the fool had surrendered every Mana Stone. Who would have guessed he’d hidden one in his underclothes?
As his consciousness grew hazy, Theo let out a helpless laugh.
“What……are you planning…….”
“Young knight, stay unconscious. Until everything is settled.”
Theo desperately reached out his hand, but it was no use. His vision faded to black.
‘No…… I have to report to the Duke…….’
With that thought, Theo’s head struck the ground.
Once the Count confirmed he’d lost consciousness, he hurried toward somewhere.
“Quickly……I have to……I have to recover it first……!”
Cold sweat streamed down the Count’s forehead.
* * *
Since it was a small rural Village, the path to the Well wasn’t far.
Throughout that short journey, Debright kept talking without pause.
“Lionel. How’s life at House of Carseido? Is the Duke giving you trouble? How’s Kaelen? It feels like just yesterday that boy was small, and now he’s already working as an aide. Amazing. Are you getting along with the other servants?”
“The Duke hasn’t given me any trouble, sir. The aide is doing well, and I’m getting along nicely with the other servants.”
“I’ve always wondered who could possibly win over that temperamental Duke. Well, I certainly think well of you. If I had a grandson, I’d be trying to arrange a match. Do you have a type you prefer? There’s this thing called rotation dating that’s become quite popular in the Capital lately. You meet different people one after another. Shall I put in a recommendation for you?”
Everywhere in every world, it seemed, the elderly wanted to match off virtuous young people.
I showed him the Ring on my finger and declined gently.
“Thank you for the suggestion, but Magic Tower Master, as I mentioned before, I’m currently employed as the Duke’s consort. You needn’t concern yourself.”
“Ah, that’s right. You are his consort. My apologies—getting old, I forget things easily.”
“It’s quite alright.”
“Then let me ask you one more thing.”
Debright asked me with a knowing smile.
“What do you think of the Duke?”

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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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