The Quack Lady - Chapter 19

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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 19

Of course, the knight seemed a bit flustered.

Actually, before departing, Mr. Pairon had noticed this and told me to stay home since he would make up some excuse.

‘Honestly, I couldn’t help but worry!’

Especially worried about Mr. Hanel’s loose tongue, I shook my head and said I would follow the men out.

It was then that Mr. Pairon and I were nodding our heads.

“No, then you should send an invitation instead of dragging me away like a kidnapping! Through proper procedures, an invitation…”

“Did you send me an invitation when you kidnapped me?”

“Hey! You be quiet.”

Mr. Hanel shouted with his face turning slightly red.

At least he knows to be embarrassed.

“I apologize for that part. However, I judged the matter to be urgent… No, that’s not it, no.”

The knight quickly frowned deeply and shook his head.

‘Oh? If I provoke him just a little more, he’ll spill everything?’

Actually, for a position like the Count’s family, their personal affairs shouldn’t be leaked to outsiders.

This was because neighboring lords from other regions sometimes invaded under the pretext of offering care.

So high-ranking nobles like counts secretly formed factions among themselves.

Complete allies who could take responsibility for their household members whether they fell ill or had no heirs.

Anyway, perhaps because of this, the knight seemed extremely reluctant to let the Count’s manor affairs leak out.

However.

‘I think Mr. Hanel and I together could make it work.’

I lightly kicked the shin of Mr. Hanel sitting across from me.

As if I were just fidgeting with my feet.

“Hey! You right now…”

The man reacted immediately. As expected, he’s fun to tease.

Instead of answering, I subtly pointed to my side. When I nodded roughly, the man made an expression like he didn’t understand.

Then.

“Ah.”

He soon let out an exclamation.

Though I was a bit anxious, this was the best option.

I cleared my throat with a dry cough, “Ahem,” as if signaling the start, then spoke to Mr. Hanel.

“But it’s been quite troublesome lately. There are so many young patients.”

“Ah, right. That’s why we’ve been going through so many painkillers lately. We’re almost running short on inventory.”

Starting with small talk.

“Ah, that must be really tough. Come to think of it, our guild makes the most painkillers, right?”

“Huh? Oh…! That’s right.”

The man looked at me with an expression like “Oh? Look at this?” and nodded.

Five years as an apothecary room maid means you learn things you don’t even want to know.

“More children who can’t take painkillers will increase. More sick kids will suffer.”

“Excuse me…”

That’s when it happened.

The knight sitting next to me asked very cautiously.

“Are you saying that painkiller will become difficult to obtain in the future?”

“Ah, yes, I think so. Why?”

“Ah, may I ask just one thing?”

“Yes, go ahead.”

“That… is it really right to prescribe painkillers even for those who usually don’t speak?”

“What?”

I doubted my own ears.

Doesn’t speak?

At this unexpected symptom, all three of us immediately looked at the knight.

The knight seemed to come to his senses under the pouring gazes and shook his head.

“Ah, no. It’s nothing. Please pretend you didn’t hear that.”

He hurriedly wiped around his mouth.

This was one of the common habits commoners often had when they made a slip of the tongue.

But.

‘Wait, doesn’t speak?’

An ominous thought began flowing through my entire body.

‘Could it be selective mutism?’

A condition where one cannot speak due to psychological stress or trauma. It can also be hereditary.

While there’s no disease in the world that can be easily cured, if there were diseases that required the longest time and effort, it would be diseases of the heart.

Especially pediatric mental problems were even more so.

Children are more affected by their surrounding environment than adults.

“…Wait.”

“What.”

Mr. Hanel responded even to my muttering.

We could stop now.

“Ah, it’s nothing.”

“Hey, what do you mean nothing.”

The man pestered me as if asking me to let him know too.

Mr. Pairon, who had been watching this from the side, let out a deep sigh.

“Stop it, Hanel.”

“What’s with you saying that too. Don’t tell me it’s something only you two know, excluding me!”

This man had no sense of timing at crucial moments.

Rather, Mr. Pairon, who hadn’t said anything, seemed to have roughly caught on.

“What are you thinking of doing, Rtemeia.”

“I have something roughly in mind, but this would be impossible without the caretaker’s full cooperation…”

When I glanced to the side, the knight cleared his throat and looked away.

Even though he had been listening intently just moments before.

“The caretaker’s role is important in treatment.”

Mr. Pairon made a “hmm” sound and straightened his posture.

Regardless, I propped my chin with one hand and continued speaking as if it were no big deal.

“It’s even more so the younger they are. It can’t be helped. For a child, parents are the world itself.”

It was then that a bitter smile naturally formed on my lips.

“Then you must feel the same way.”

“Pardon?”

“Don’t you want to have a new world? Rtemeia?”

My eyes widened at the unexpected words.

When I quickly put together the context and thought about it, I finally remembered the part where the man had introduced me as his daughter.

“What? That was just to defuse the situation…”

“No, I’ve been thinking about it for a while. At least about sponsoring you.”

Sponsorship.

Usually, sponsorship meant high-ranking nobles helping lower nobles without hereditary titles.

‘But me?’

There was no reason or need to help me, who was just a maid.

Perhaps my reaction was quite refreshing, as the man showed a kind smile and answered.

“Looking back, I realized that it was all you—saving me and making me want to become a good person. So I wanted to support your future. In whatever form.”

“…”

“But didn’t Hanel tell you? I definitely told him to relay the message.”

His gentle eyes half-closed as they turned toward Mr. Hanel. Mr. Hanel visibly panicked and subtly stepped back.

“No! What are you trusting this little kid for! If you pamper her like this, she’ll just get spoiled… Aaaaah!”

That was the exact moment.

“Neighhhhhh!”

The carriage began swaying violently along with the horse’s neighing.

And.

“It’s an ambush! Everyone take cover!”

The knight’s shout came from outside. At the same time, sounds of something embedding, screams, and then cackling laughter followed in sequence.

“A bandit gang.”

Mr. Pairon, who had come to my side, wrapped one arm around me and crouched down.

“I’ll go check the situation.”

Just as the Count’s Manor knight was quietly speaking.

“Aaaaah! Damn it, what the hell!”

A curse burst from Mr. Hanel’s mouth, who despite his loose tongue had never uttered profanity before.

The moment the coachman slightly opened the door, an arrow flew through the gap and lodged in his heart.

‘From the position, it’s his heart.’

Just as I calmly placed my hand over the carotid artery in his neck to check the knight’s pulse.

The largest artery next to the neck and the area where you can check the heart’s pulse.

“Come here.”

Mr. Pairon immediately pulled me into a tight embrace.

It was a broad and warm embrace.

“Since we don’t know when or where arrows might fly from, we’ll have to stay like this for a while.”

“…”

“This won’t do. If we stay here, we’ll become a pincushion.”

Mr. Hanel also took off the robe he was wearing and gently covered my head with it.

My vision turned black. However, strangely, in that safest of places, my heart began pounding.

“It’s okay. Mommy will protect you. I love you, Mia. I love you forever.”

“I love you too, Mommy.”

Tears instantly flowed from my eyes.

There was no raging fire, no helpless seven-year-old me, but the fear remained the same.

Soon emotions began welling up like a bursting dam.

Mother’s warm embrace that had wrapped around me amid the blazing fire, and Mother’s gentle voice that had whispered love endlessly.

All of it swept through my mind quickly like a mirage.

‘Why am I acting like this?’

I tried to scold myself, but no thoughts came to mind.

Soon, as fear crashed over me like a tsunami and engulfed my entire body, my hands trembled like aspen leaves.

‘It’s a panic attack.’

A state of experiencing extreme fear and terror instantaneously.

As my breathing became labored with breath rising to my chin, I immediately covered my mouth.

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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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