The Immortal Duke’s Physician Is an Internist - Chapter 57

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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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Debright set about decomposing the massive Magic Stone.
The Count had brought his pack full of empty Magic Stones, which he threw into the air to fractionate the magic from the great stone.
Exactly one hour later, Everain returned with Count Marseya in tow.
“I, I don’t know anything! I swear!”
“Count Marseya. From now on, answer my questions correctly. If you don’t, I’ll break your fingers one by one.”
The Duke’s menacing threat made the Count nod obediently.
I approached him and posed my question.
“Count. Thirteen years ago, you came to this village. That was the first time you saw me.”
“Y, yes, that’s right…….”
“Why did you come to this village then?”
“I, that was…… I was, was traveling and just stopped to rest…….”
“Your Grace. His fingers.”
At my summons, the Count went pale with fright.
“Wait, I’ll tell you! I was transporting Magic Stones. I’ve been doing this for years—receiving Magic Stones from Dark Sorcerers and delivering them. But back then, suddenly people from the Magic Tower started chasing me. So, in desperation, I ducked into this village and…… hid the Magic Stones in the well!”
Now I understood why a Count with no legitimate income had accumulated such wealth.
How he could have traveled the entire empire spying on orphanages.
“Then, second question. Why haven’t you recovered the Magic Stones until now, and why come back suddenly?”
“That was…… because a plague swept through this village. The plague, the plague terrified me…….”
“All the patients are dead now, and House of Carseido is launching an investigation—so you got scared and came back. Afraid the existence of this Magic Stone would be discovered.”
Now it began to make sense.
Where the cholera had come from—the plague that annihilated the village, that drove my mother to death.
“Because of that Magic Stone you put in the well, the Werewolves from the Northern Region defecated in the river. There were bacteria in their waste…… and it reached the well, and it destroyed our village…….”
“I…… I didn’t do it on purpose!!”
The Count suddenly dropped to his knees, beseeching me.
“I, I couldn’t have done anything differently. I, if I came to this village and caught the disease myself, well, that would be it. B, but retrieving that Magic Stone again…… that would expose my whole identity. How could I possibly do that?”
He had known the whole time why our village people died. His shameless tone left me speechless.
As I fell silent, emboldened by my hesitation, the Count spoke again.
“Y, you were lucky enough to survive, weren’t you? B, besides, I even tried to help you? If you’d just come to me willingly and married me, you never would have known any of this and lived a perfectly fine life!!”
“Shut your mouth, Count.”
The Duke stepped in front of me. Blue light rippled around his form.
“Say one more word, and I’ll slit your throat right now.”
“No, Your Grace. Please don’t.”
I held the Duke back. Everyone present fixed their eyes on me.
I reached into my pack and pulled out a Magic Stone.
“There’s no need for you to step in, Your Grace. I’m going to kill this bastard myself today.”
I brought the Magic Stone down hard onto the Count’s head.
Crack!
Struck by the stone, the Count offered no resistance and simply collapsed.
The men froze in shock at my action. Even the Duke’s eyes widened, his mouth gaping open.
Regardless of their reaction, I raised my hand again. The Count, lying face-down but looking up at me, went ashen.
“P, please spare me……!”
Crack!
I smashed the Magic Stone into the Count’s face a second time. The impact shattered the stone, and fragments scattered in all directions. When he saw his own blood streaming down his forehead, the Count screamed like a madman.
“Blood…… bleeding!! I’m dying!! Somebody help!!”
Slap!
“Shut your mouth, Count Marseya.”
My slap snapped him silent, leaving him stunned. I struck again, harder, and blood ran down my own hand—but I felt nothing.
“Do you know how many people died because of you?”
“…….”
“Do you know how many lives were sacrificed for one Magic Stone you thoughtlessly buried? And then you—you had the audacity to ask me to be your wife? You disgusting vermin, less than a beast!”
Reason had abandoned me entirely. I couldn’t even control my own breathing. I felt the demon within me, a part of myself I’d never known, awakening.
“Because of you…… because of you I lost my mother, and I was treated like garbage in the Frenscia Barony. Do you know how wretchedly I’ve lived because of you?”
“I, I was wrong…… I was wrong…….”
The Count could barely open his eyes, only mumbling apologies. Even this enraged me further, and I kicked him in the stomach with all my strength.
“Ugh…….”
“Give me back my mother…… give me back my home!! Find some way, any way, and return my mother to me!!”
I struck him again and again, kicked him repeatedly. At some point, the Count hung limp, able only to absorb each blow I dealt.
He was covered in blood, but my rage would not subside. I picked up a sword that lay nearby on the ground.
“Teacher!”
Seeing my expression, the Duke stepped in front of me.
“Please, calm down, teacher. Killing him won’t solve this.”
“If killing him won’t solve it, then what will—what will happen if I don’t kill him?!”
A metallic rasp tore from my throat, already raw from screaming. Tears spilled down my cheeks.
“Do you know what they do with the bodies of plague victims? They burn every scrap of clothing the person owned, shove the corpse into a pit, and bury it. That’s how they buried my mother!”
“Teacher. Please…….”
“And knowing all of this—all of it—he still had the audacity to ask me to be his second wife. Knowing everything, how can you expect me not to kill that bastard!”
“Because I don’t want you to be a murderer!!”
The Duke roared, still blocking my path, refusing to move aside.
“I don’t care whether the Count lives or dies. But you? Your life? You have far more days ahead than days behind you—I can’t stand by and let you throw it away like this!”
“……What does it matter to you? Whether I become a killer or not…….”
“It matters to me!!”
The Duke shouted and knocked the sword from my hand with a swift strike. It clattered far away across the floor.
“What are you—!”
My furious cry broke off as the Duke suddenly pulled me into an embrace.
“I told you. I never want to attend your funeral.”
“…….”
“……You’ve suffered enough already. Don’t let that trash claim the rest of your life—please, I’m begging you. Live for me.”
I couldn’t answer.
The desire to kill him right then and there crashed headlong against the Duke’s desperate need to stop me.
My vision blurred. My breath came in gasps. I clutched at the Duke’s robes and wept.
“How am I supposed to…… live going forward?”
“…….”
“I became a doctor because I wanted to investigate the plague that took my mother from me…… If I can’t take revenge on the one who caused it, how am I supposed to…… how am I supposed to live? How…….”
Instead of answering, the Duke held me tighter. He whispered so only I could hear.
“At least stay alive until I break my curse. That was our promise, wasn’t it?”
“…….”
I stopped fighting. In truth, I had no strength left to fight with.
Feeling my body go limp, the Duke raised his head and spoke to Everain and Debright.
“Both of you—see to the Count.”
“……Understood.”
I heard them move, and then darkness took me.
Even as I fell asleep, I remained aware of the steady thrum of the Duke’s heartbeat.
* * *
“Lionel. Would you like some hotcakes? Mother brought honey from the neighbors specially.”
“Yes! I want to eat it with milk!”
“Of course. Just wait a moment.”
I sat at the table waiting for the hotcakes. Anticipating the honey, even Mother’s back as she cooked seemed joyful.
Then, suddenly, Mother turned and spoke.
“Lionel. Are you feeling well? No pain anywhere?”
“No, I’m fine.”
“Good. That’s a relief. I……my stomach…… it hurts…….”
Mother’s face went pale all at once. Worried, I approached her.
“Mother, what’s wrong?”
“Lionel, I’m going to write you a letter. Take it and go to the Frenscia Barony. When you get there, they’ll…….”
In the blink of an eye, the scene changed.
In the dark of night, somewhere deep in a forest, people moved with practiced precision.
“Hurry! Move faster!”
In rhythm with the commands, they threw something into a massive pit. When I saw what was inside, nausea rose in my throat and I covered my mouth.
Naked bodies, stacked and tangled together.
Among them was a newborn from the neighboring house, and a friend I’d played with toy dolls.
“Lionel…….”
Someone called my name. From the bottom of the pit, Mother crawled up.
“Lionel…… save me…….”
Fear kept me from reaching for her. Mother stared at me with eyes full of resentment.
“You wicked thing…… you alone survived…… only you lived!!”
Mother’s face turned black. I cried out in horror.
“I’m sorry…… I’m sorry!!”
“You alone survived…… you traitor……!”
Mother reached toward me. I covered my face and screamed.
“Ahhhhhhh!!”
And then I snapped my eyes open.

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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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