The Quack Lady - Chapter 15

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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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Episode 15

When I was young, I couldn’t understand it. Actually, even now I don’t understand it very well.

Mother only suffered after giving birth to me and then passed away.

“I’ll definitely protect you. Mia. I love you.”

Until her consciousness grew dim in the flames, the word Mother said most was love.

Mother blocked everything with all her heart so the flames wouldn’t touch my body, but even that great love could only turn to a handful of ash before the flames that devoured the entire house.

So I had to head to the treatment facility. Because I wanted to achieve the happiness Mother couldn’t achieve.

But now I know.

My happiness isn’t determined by someone else, but something I decide for myself.

“Anyway, this wound is a scar I got on the day Mother was holding me. It looks a bit disgust… No, what are you two doing?”

Mr. Pairon was quietly crying with his rolled-up fist placed over his mouth, and Mr. Hanel had turned around, leaning against the wall with his shoulders trembling slightly.

Of course, the teardrops falling enough to wet the floor were a bonus.

“No, I’m just saying it’s a scar that looks like this. I didn’t intend to make you cry…”

“That’s what makes it even sadder. A child like you… *sniff* talking about such things without shedding a single tear.”

Mr. Hanel comforted me with a tearful voice, even his nose stuffed up.

This kind of comfort was a first for me, so it felt awkward.

It felt strange. Having someone truly empathize with my pain…

I was standing there dumbfounded with this odd feeling when it happened.

Mr. Hanel cleared his throat and spoke in a much more careful tone than usual.

“But kid. That scar isn’t a wound to you, it’s…”

“No. It’s just a wound.”

“…”

“A wound is just a wound.”

* * *

Regardless of where, all maids had to gather and wash at designated times.

Why? Because that was the fastest and simplest way.

In that process, my leg was everyone’s gossip material.

Simply because it was disgusting.

And this was also the reason I had to be bullied for being different from others.

“Ugh, disgusting. Look at that. What kind of great sin did she commit to get such a wound?”

“She must have done something bad. Otherwise, why would God give such terrible punishment?”

In the Empire where divine authority was strong, illness was directly connected to God’s punishment, and the other maids whispered while looking at my leg from the beginning.

Anyway, for these reasons, I didn’t want to heal the wound.

Because I thought it was the only memory of Mother remaining on my body.

But as time passed, the scar worsened, and it was inevitable that a corner of my heart would ache whenever I saw the scar.

‘Is it right to remember Mother with such a hideous wound?’

After time passed and I had various thoughts, unfortunately the choice wasn’t mine to make.

However.

‘If I use knowledge from my past life, it seems quite possible.’

If I hadn’t recalled my past life, I wouldn’t have dared to even think about it.

Naturally, burns were in the realm of impossible treatment.

Especially if it was a deep and old wound like the one remaining on me.

More than anything, it was a wound that let me remember Mother and at the same time.

It was also a wound that remained from ‘losing’ Mother.

If I could treat this, I would be able to prove to the two men before me that my prescription was correct.

“I can’t do it perfectly, but I can smooth the skin to some degree. Of course, I won’t die in the process either.”

“Smooth it, when it’s so bumpy and rough…”

“I’ll apply anesthetic and slice off the skin tissue thinly. Of course, without touching the dermal layer…”

Before I could finish explaining the treatment process calmly, Mr. Hanel grabbed both my shoulders and shouted.

“Hey! What are you talking about? Skin isn’t dried fish, how can you slice it like that? Besides, that would cause excessive bleeding…”

“I just need to avoid touching blood vessels as much as possible. The skin tissues here are clumped together, so just a slight incision should make it clean.”

Honestly, I’d need a sharp knife though.

A surgical scalpel.

That could be done by sharpening a knife very sharp and disinfecting it.

Unlike my calm reaction, as soon as I finished speaking, both men stopped crying and gaped.

“I’ll show you. That the child can receive treatment and survive.”

“…”

“So please don’t undermine the reliability of treatment with unnecessary words to the child and caretaker. If you two add more words, they might not listen to me.”

I could see Mr. Hanel flinch at my words.

‘As expected, he was trying to stop me earlier.’

He was probably going to say something to protect me, like not to trust too much since it wasn’t certain.

I let out a small sigh and continued.

“He has a father. If the caretaker’s cooperation is achieved, there’s a way he can definitely get better, and none of us here have the right to stop that.”

Mental illness.

Perhaps it’s a disease that hurts children more than adults.

Most importantly, unlike children who get hurt without knowing the cause, if there’s a clear solution.

‘There’s no reason not to execute it.’

It was when I was wearing a faint smile on my lips.

Mr. Pairon muttered with half-closed eyes.

“Good. Let’s see you do it.”

“Pairon! What are you saying right now! In that condition, she could die! You’re talking about putting a knife to her body!”

“That’s what needs to be done.”

Unlike his calm voice, Mr. Pairon seemed a bit angry.

However.

“Alright. Don’t go back on your word. It’ll all recover in about a week.”

“Hey! What are you saying now! How can that wound recover in such a short time! Pairon, think about it again. Where in the world is there a crazy kid who puts a knife to her own body! It’s going to hurt terribly!”

“Don’t you also frequently put a knife to your body for nail care?”

“Are you saying a knife for trimming nails is the same as that, right now? Are you crazy too?”

Mr. Hanel jumped and exclaimed.

He began turning his head left and right, trying to dissuade both me and Mr. Pairon.

“Now, this isn’t the time for us to be at each other’s throats. You just need to not be confident about treatment from now on, and you just need to think of it as a minor problem and forgive the child – it’s a very simple matter!”

Mr. Hanel desperately tried to mediate, but neither of us backed down.

No, we couldn’t back down.

“Instead, if I succeed at this, don’t tell that child’s treatment what to do. He’s my patient.”

“Fine. But if the treatment doesn’t work properly, you must never deal with patients again.”

“What?”

Huh? That’s actually quite appealing.

It seemed like Mr. Pairon thought I wanted to become a doctor because I usually showed a lot of interest in medicinal herbs.

I just wanted to take responsibility for the patient I saw.

I was trying to control the corners of my mouth, thinking this was such a sweet deal, when it happened.

“You! That’s too much. Telling a child who treats patients so passionately not to see patients! Don’t you think about the child’s future at all!”

Mr. Hanel, who had been maintaining neutrality, suddenly became serious and started arguing.

I grabbed his sleeve and said.

“No, Mr. Hanel?”

“You stay out of this.”

But he brushed off my hand and began earnestly questioning Mr. Pairon.

“You. Don’t you think this condition is too harsh for the child?”

After that, Mr. Hanel began speaking more passionately than ever before.

‘No, I’m really fine with it!’

But I couldn’t say with my own mouth that it was okay.

Because if I said I was fine, he’d say that was good, and it seemed like the whole situation he’d stirred up would just fizzle out.

‘This is driving me crazy, really.’

It was when he was unable to do this or that.

A polite knocking sound came from outside the door.

“Come in.”

Ignoring Mr. Hanel, Mr. Pairon peeked his head out and spoke.

When permission was granted from inside, an elderly gentleman who appeared to be a butler revealed himself.

From my maid’s intuition, he seemed to be the head butler of this place.

He walked over with silent footsteps and whispered something in Mr. Pairon’s ear.

“…Lenoven?”

“Yes. He’s waiting in the drawing room right now. He says he absolutely must meet with you today.”

“….”

“Oh, and….”

Soon the old man’s gaze slowly turned toward me.

“Well, he also wished to meet with Miss Rtemeia as well.”

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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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