The Military Doctor Excels at Being a Contracted Duchess - Chapter 75

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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【Chapter 75】

After what seemed like enough pointless chatter, the real topic finally emerged.

On the surface it sounded like nonsense about potions, but there was a different intention behind it.

Among the noble ladies of the capital’s social circles, everyone knew that the Queen had been keeping some gypsy sorcerer around for the past few months.

“It’s the usual kind of story that comes up. No sensible person would believe such things have any real effect.”

Unless one intended to openly insult the Queen, a vague response was appropriate. It also conveyed the meaning that she’d rather not discuss this topic if possible.

But her companion was persistent.

“It’s just a ‘rumor’ after all. Stories with wings can land anywhere, as they say.”

She knew that starting this way would pique the interest of naive young ladies.

Adelheid decided to just let her ramble on as she pleased.

“Actually, things like love potions are so cliché. But this gypsy… they say she can cast curses.”

“Oh my, how frightening!”

“Curses, you say. Would there really be people wicked enough to commission such things?”

There probably would be.

Adelheid listened to the story with indifference.

An era when trains would traverse the entire country was approaching, yet here they were talking about sorcery that might have worked thirty years ago.

“But what’s really interesting is this. They say the Queen brought in this gypsy sorcerer right after talk of the Duke’s marriage began.”

“That’s quite enough.”

Ah, but still, watching the Queen get torn apart by gossip didn’t sit well with her.

She probably thought it was acceptable to bring up such topics because her family opposed the King, but well.

Adelheid didn’t want to mock the Queen.

What was so wrong with being mad with love?

‘Isn’t it wonderful to be able to focus so intensely on something, even in that way?’

Adelheid was a colorless, odorless human being. At least, that’s how she saw herself.

She liked what she was supposed to like, didn’t do what she shouldn’t do. She only did things that would please her parents and avoided anything that would make the social circles frown, and this is what she had become.

If asked whether she was proud of herself, well. Not at all.

Of course, she also lacked the courage to abandon the self she had built up over a lifetime.

Because there was nothing that made her want to go mad.

“Oh, but you know what? It would be so wonderful if the Duchess were really a doctor. I’m sick of feeling uncomfortable every time I get examined by my physician.”

It was the oblivious Hailey who revived the broken conversation.

But this time her lack of tact deserved applause, so Adelheid silently fluttered her fan.

It was a gesture indicating she wanted to hear more.

“Physicians can’t even touch our bodies. They just listen to us say things like ‘I think I have a fever,’ ‘my stomach hurts,’ ‘my chest feels tight,’ and prescribe medicine based on that, so the medicine doesn’t seem to work well.”

Hailey, who let out a deep sigh, had two younger brothers. So she probably had more basis for comparison.

“My mother will be giving birth soon, and I keep thinking how wonderful it would be to have a doctor present.”

The one whispering in a voice filled with fear was the most timid young lady in this gathering.

“If something happens, I…”

She trailed off like this because her aunt had actually passed away from excessive bleeding during childbirth.

Moreover, many commoner mothers who went to hospitals actually died from puerperal fever.

While noble ladies didn’t have high mortality rates, since only elderly midwives and servants could enter the birthing room, doctors could only wait outside and receive reports.

Because they were men.

How could a man directly witness a noble lady’s childbirth?

“If the Duchess stays in the capital for a long time, perhaps we could ask her for help?”

“Mother’s delivery is still three months away.”

“After the hunting festival and the birthday celebration, it’ll be around that time.”

“That’s right. We could at least try asking.”

The problem of dying during childbirth was a common worry among young ladies.

Because it could happen to them too.

Moreover, the due date happened to be early winter when the social season ended.

It was a time when the capable physicians of various families in the capital would leave for their manor estates, making it truly difficult to guarantee survival.

“The Duchess might even use chloroform for us, don’t you think?”

This was Hailey again.

She had a talent for casually voicing things others couldn’t dare say, transferring thoughts from her mind to her mouth the moment they occurred.

She played the role of scratching the itchy spots of refined noble young ladies.

“Goodness, God will hear you.”

“That’s right. He commanded that children be born in pain.”

The young ladies made a fuss, but what showed in their eyes was anxiety and anticipation.

It was a famous story that the Queen of Ingris had used chloroform to reduce pain during childbirth.

The problem was that religious circles were strongly opposed to it.

There was anesthetic available but they couldn’t use it!

Since no doctor wanted to make enemies of religious circles, it was an infuriating situation.

Well, they weren’t the ones giving birth.

But what if it were a female doctor…?

Wouldn’t she empathize with the fear of pain and death? And she was the Grand Duchess, after all.

A Grand Duchess of a nation wouldn’t need to fear religious circles.

Now the atmosphere had shifted once again.

To wanting to meet the Duchess.

Though Ebel was completely unaware of this.

* * *

The journey to the capital was quite enjoyable.

They had decided to use carriages until they reached somewhere close to the south, then take the train from there, and the reactions of people seeing the running metal contraption for the first time were quite amusing.

“How fascinating. What’s the principle behind it?”

While even the adults pressed their noses to the windows watching the scenery whiz by, Angelm alone remained composed. As for Damian, needless to say, he kept trying to open the window and stick his hand out, which was exhausting to prevent.

“The newspaper said they burn coal to boil water, and the wheels turn from the power of steam…”

His solitary muttering seemed quite serious. He was indeed a child who would have to lead Bayern in the future.

But still, thinking that even he should act like a child sometimes, Ebel muttered as if to herself.

“I’d like to see the engine room, to see if there’s really that much coal piled up there.”

Angelm’s shoulders twitched at the casually thrown remark.

“The engine room has a tender car connected to it. It’s different from this passenger car. That’s where the fireman shovels coal into the firebox.”

“…It would be dangerous, so it would be better to go with Dominique.”

“Yes, but Dominique will be busy holding onto Damian.”

Toot- toooot!

Just then, a sharp whistle sound that made hearts race pierced the air. The train seemed to speed up a little more as their bodies swayed slightly backward, and simultaneously the outside scenery quickly receded.

“It’s much faster than a galloping horse. I wish this could be installed throughout the country. We could get anywhere faster than by carriage.”

“That’s right. In the future, it’ll be easy to visit cities we’ve never been to before.”

Ebel stood up and quietly extended her hand to Angelm. It was an invitation to go exploring together.

Actually, Ebel had bought tickets to tour the engine room as soon as they boarded the train.

Since running trains was expensive, railway companies earned additional income by selling such tickets.

Though one ticket cost 100,000 Garts, considering it was the price for giving the children a rare experience, it didn’t feel too expensive.

“Will you come with me?”

“…I suppose I have no choice.”

Though he acted aloof, his eyes sparkled as if he wanted to see it.

Leaving Victor to comfortably review his documents, Ebel led the children and presented all four tickets, including Dominique’s share, to enter the engine room.

“Welcome, Lady! And young masters!”

The fireman removed his cap and bowed obsequiously in greeting, and the engineer also paid his respects to the Bayern name.

“I thought it would be a good experience for the children, so I brought them along.”

“Yes, you’ve come to the right place. If you pull this cord here, the whistle sounds. Would you like to try?”

Naturally, Damian was the first to step forward. As he pulled the cord with an excited face, the whistle blew vigorously.

Tremendous steam must have shot up toward the sky.

Angelm seemed a bit startled by the overwhelming sound that was much louder than in the passenger car, but he tried not to show it.

“To think this is all the power of steam…”

“Amazing, isn’t it? This is the future you’ll be living in. Maybe trains will even fly through the sky someday.”

Ebel smiled and after spending some time there, returned to the passenger car.

It was around the time when both Damian and Angelm’s faces had turned bright red.

“We should have gotten off in about 5 minutes, so your timing is perfect.”

“It really was quick.”

As they sat in the passenger car, the cool air pleasantly cooled their heated bodies.

Victor, who had been examining documents with his posture still perfectly composed, looked at each returning family member one by one and couldn’t help but smile.

“Oh my.”

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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