The Quack Lady - Chapter 42

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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 42

 

The two men stared at me with half-narrowed eyes and said.

 

“No, it’s just that for a moment it felt like we’d used quite a lot.”

 

“Huh? You felt it too? I felt it as well. You’re not secretly doing something strange behind our backs, are you?”

 

“Th-that can’t be! You said it was my gift…!”

 

Should I not have been so obvious about it?

 

I forced a smile and quickly changed the topic of conversation.

 

The conclusion was that they should make it convenient for me to use my gift.

 

“Well, since we’re talking about it, I’ll craft tools however you want them.”

 

“However I want them?”

 

“That’s right, Pol’s craftsmanship is well-known in the Eastern Region.”

 

Mr. Pairon’s proposal was quite tempting, but on the other hand, it was also troubling.

 

‘Is it really necessary?’

 

I couldn’t easily make a decision, but having one for emergencies wouldn’t be bad either.

 

I did need to take care of the scar on my ankle at some point.

 

Just as I was about to nod readily.

 

An unfamiliar knocking sound came from outside the door.

 

* * *

 

The food at the Count’s Manor was so beautiful that it was hard to see anything like it inside the infirmary.

 

The elegantly decorated dishes were beyond appetizing—they were enchanting to the eyes.

 

“Is it not to your taste?”

 

Perhaps because I was just staring blankly at the food, the Countess asked worriedly.

 

“Oh, no! I’ll eat well.”

 

I gave an awkward smile and picked up my fork.

 

When I glanced around, Mr. Pairon, Mr. Hanel, and even Eruten who had been summoned were all eating elegantly.

 

With a “whatever happens, happens” attitude, I poked at the food in front of me with my fork.

 

It looked roughly like shrimp confit…

 

‘Damn…’

 

As soon as I ate it, it felt like shrimp were dancing in my mouth. At this moment, I was grateful for my constitution that had no shellfish allergies.

 

It was when I had eaten the food one by one like this.

 

“By the way, thank you so much, Miss Rtemeia.”

 

“…”

 

As I stopped abruptly with my fork in hand, a young voice came as if it had been waiting.

 

“Thank you so much, Rtemeia.”

 

This time it was Demian. Sitting across from me, he was wearing the most beautiful smile in the world.

 

Feeling suddenly embarrassed by that sight, I slowly put down my fork.

 

Then I dabbed my mouth with a napkin and composed my expression.

 

“I merely did what needed to be done.”

 

Then, as if he had been waiting, Mr. Hanel beside me let out a “pfft” and laughed.

 

Then he mouthed my words from just before, mocking me.

 

‘…’

 

I immediately stepped hard on Mr. Hanel’s foot next to me with a loud sound.

 

“The reason I asked you to dine today was to give you this.”

 

When the Count nodded slightly, an attendant held out parchment placed on a silver tray to me.

 

“This is a gift from me to Miss Rtemeia. It’s your new registration certificate.”

 

“What?”

 

It definitely felt different from my crumpled registration certificate. If my existing registration certificate was cheap parchment, this registration certificate had soft and luxurious parchment quality, as if…

 

‘Wait! Isn’t this a doctor’s registration certificate?’

 

It was a registration certificate I had definitely seen at the infirmary.

 

When I couldn’t close my mouth from being so surprised, the Count and Countess looked at each other and smiled faintly.

 

“Unfortunately, I can’t change your birth status, but I can make you a doctor’s registration certificate.”

 

Perhaps because of my expression, the Count added more words afterward about being the youngest and that it wasn’t just formal but actually usable, but.

 

‘This is totally awesome!’

 

It didn’t register in my ears.

 

Even though it wasn’t a big deal, my heart felt strangely warm.

 

‘Even Mother couldn’t do this…’

 

In the past, Mother, who worked as a doctor’s assistant, had dreamed of becoming a doctor but couldn’t.

 

“Most importantly, since we’ve properly made your registration certificate, you don’t need to worry about your status.”

 

The Count smiled with satisfaction.

 

Wait, worry?

 

Then I suddenly remembered how the knight had looked at my registration certificate and rubbed his eyes.

 

I raised my head abruptly and asked back.

 

“What? What do you mean by that…”

 

When I just blinked my eyes, the Count and Countess exchanged glances once, then carefully explained the situation.

 

“It’s a bit awkward to say this at such an occasion, but there was a lot of missing information on your registration certificate.”

 

“What? Missing information?”

 

The unexpected words felt like being hit hard on the head.

 

‘Is that even possible?’

 

Imperial citizens, that is, domain residents, had to report births to their lord without exception.

 

Since it involved taxes and labor force, it was an issue that couldn’t and shouldn’t be manipulated carelessly.

 

Much less omissions.

 

It was hard to believe that Lord Barten would do such a thing.

 

However, the bigger problem came next.

 

“Nothing was properly done from the birth registration. Including the birth mother’s name, even the birth father wasn’t written down.”

 

“What…?”

 

Everyone’s surprised gazes turned toward me.

 

But I was more surprised than anyone.

 

Even the birth registration wasn’t properly done?

 

Did that mean Mother had hidden me?

 

“Is that possible…”

 

Mr. Pairon asked urgently, but the Countess calmly continued.

 

“If she hid the fact that she was pregnant and secretly gave birth, it would be possible.”

 

‘Hid her pregnancy?’

 

At those words, countless things Mother had said flashed through my mind.

 

“You don’t know how happy I am to have given birth to our Mia. It’s the best thing Mom has ever done in her life!”

 

“Mia. I love you forever.”

 

“Thank you so much for coming to Mom like this, Mia.”

 

My head went blank at the thought that suddenly occurred to me.

 

Did Mother have another reason to hide her pregnancy? Why didn’t she register the birth?

 

It was when various thoughts were bouncing around like balls.

 

“Mia. Are you okay?”

 

Perhaps because of my stiff expression, Eruten sitting next to me asked carefully.

 

“Huh? Yeah…”

 

I tried to compose my expression, but I could feel that I still wasn’t managing my expression well.

 

Perhaps because of this appearance, the Countess offered comfort calmly.

 

“Don’t think too deeply about it. The unchanging fact is that your mother protected you in her womb for ten months.”

 

“…”

 

Logically, I thought that could be the case, but my heart didn’t agree.

 

What on earth had happened to Mother?

 

“More than that, an interesting letter came today. Would you like to see it?”

 

At her words, the head maid who had guided us earlier held out the parchment on the tray.

 

The intended recipient was not me, but Mr. Pairon.

 

Soon after unfolding and reading the parchment, his eyes widened greatly.

 

“Is this true?”

 

“Yes. The Marquis’s family officially wishes to meet Teacher Rtemeia.”

 

What? So suddenly? Why?

 

My mind began to grow even more complicated at the words that followed.

 

“Don’t tell me our little one… no, they need Rtemeia’s medical skills?”

 

Mr. Hanel asked in an unusually somewhat tense tone, and the Countess nodded with a faint smile.

 

Is this for real?

 

“I was actually planning to write a letter of recommendation to send, but somehow the Marquis’s mansion found out and made the proposal first.”

 

As she said this, she glanced at Mr. Pairon.

 

He quickly avoided her gaze.

 

“We’ll prepare a carriage for tomorrow, so go with Demian. The Count’s manor will prepare everything you need. Right, Clint?”

 

“Huh? Oh! Yes, of course.”

 

The Count, who had been lost in thought for a moment, seemed to come to his senses at the Countess’s words and nodded quickly.

 

“That’s alright with you, isn’t it, Teacher?”

 

“Ah? Yes?”

 

“Good. I’ll take that as settled then. Thank you.”

 

The Countess smiled with her lips pressed tightly together.

 

It was then, as I was hesitating with a feeling like something had been forced on me.

 

“Are you okay, Mia?”

 

“Uh… yeah. I think so.”

 

At Eruten’s cautious question, I finally came to my senses.

 

Only then did my head, full of question marks, clear up and one sentence began to surface.

 

‘Shit, I’m screwed again…’

 

* * *

 

Naturally, as soon as dinner ended, we convened an emergency meeting.

 

This time Eruten was with us too.

 

“How on earth did this happen?”

 

When I asked with a worried face, Mr. Pairon ran his hand through his hair and confessed honestly.

 

“I’m the one who wrote the letter to the Marquis’s mansion.”

 

“Good heavens, why!”

 

“I was worried the Count’s manor might create some false charge to pin on you. But I absolutely never asked them to take you as a doctor.”

 

Mr. Pairon drooped his eyes as if feeling quite wronged.

 

He said he had only asked them to extract the child named Rtemeia from the Count’s manor using the Marquis’s mansion’s influence.

 

“But it’s strange. Looking at the contents of the letter, they’ve officially invited you to the Marquis’s mansion. Only you, out of the three of us.”

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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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