The Quack Lady - Chapter 62

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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 62

The sound of furniture falling echoed loudly.

Tenoa, who had been slammed into the desk, collapsed without even the slightest resistance.

“I gave you some work because you seemed somewhat useful, and now you’re trying to steal your father’s position like this?”

His gaze was sharp like a menacing blade.

Tenoa had long since grown taller than Banlette, but he couldn’t resist.

He could only pray for the outburst to end. To be able to tend the apothecary as usual.

“Ah, the herbs from the Eastern Region are mostly vasodilators. They’re usually epinephrine-based, I suppose.”

“Epi… what?”

“Nothing. Never mind.”

Rtemeia asked me about herbs whenever she had the chance.

Most of it was a confirmation process about whether the effects were correct.

I couldn’t help but know. That child knew so much content that even calling her a genius wasn’t enough.

She even knew well how to combine different medicines.

Yet she never once acted arrogant or showed off.

“What’s important about knowing things? What’s more important is being able to use it to save people.”

The child was cautious. She smiled, saying that even poisonous herbs could be used as medicine, so even the smallest amount should be used carefully.

Tenoa unconsciously smiled as he recalled that moment.

“What? You’re smiling?”

Banlette, who didn’t miss that expression even for an instant, immediately raised his whip.

However, his whip never reached Tenoa.

“Ah, so this is why you said you wouldn’t be my assistant?”

A small girl had appeared from somewhere, entering boldly with one corner of her mouth raised.

“No wonder you kept looking around nervously even when teaching me about herbs.”

“Huh? What are you!”

It was Rtemeia.

“What do you mean what? I’m a house physician here to find an assistant.”

“R-Rtemeia, hurry and l-leave…”

“Leave where? I’m taking you with me.”

At that moment, knights from the Marquis’s estate poured out from behind her as if they had been waiting.

They surrounded Banlette as if they had been expecting this.

“Wh-what is the meaning of this!”

“The Marquis ordered us to assist Lady Rtemeia. For details, please go speak with the Marquis himself.”

“A f-father was disciplining his child! I haven’t done anything wrong enough to be dragged away like this…”

“Discipline?”

That’s when Rtemeia spoke with a sneer.

“Mister. Get a grip. This is abuse.”

“What do you know to open your mouth…!”

“No, how much did you beat this kid that someone this big can’t even resist?”

Rtemeia immediately helped Tenoa, who was collapsed on the floor, to his feet.

“It’s not that he can’t resist, it’s because everything I say is right!”

“Ah, so the prescriptions are right too?”

At those words, Banlette’s eyes widened greatly.

“Proxy prescribing is fundamentally illegal, mister! Why do you hold the title of doctor while making Tenoa write the prescriptions?”

Rtemeia handed the prescription she was holding to a knight.

The prescription was filled with Tenoa’s handwriting.

It was meant to be used as evidence.

“Y-you, how did you get this…!”

“The Marquis’s family wouldn’t have hired such a young child as a doctor, but the kid turned out to be incredibly smart, didn’t he? Looking at the prescription handwriting, it was all his writing.”

“…”

“I had my suspicions, but I never thought you’d go as far as beating the child behind the scenes.”

“…”

“If this gets out, it’ll be a great help to the Marquis’s estate’s reputation, won’t it? Mister?”

Soon Rtemeia sneered at him.

But anger flickered in her eyes.

* * *

Among the people who come to the hospital, there’s a type of human that’s truly unforgivable.

Abusers.

“Isn’t he completely insane? You should have seen how many bruises were on that seven-year-old’s body…”

“I almost cried when I saw him. How could anyone beat such a small child?”

Abusers don’t need to be respected.

I immediately told the knights to drag the abuser out, and at the same time conveyed that he should absolutely not be forgiven.

After that, I approached Tenoa and examined him.

“Are you okay?”

“…”

Tenoa had wounds all over his body.

Among the old wounds, there were traces of clumsy self-treatment everywhere.

“…Were you treating yourself?”

At my words, he neither confirmed nor denied it.

However, through his deeply bowed head, I could guess what he might say.

‘He’s similar to me.’

Feeling sorry for him, I grabbed the child’s face with both hands.

“Hey, I’ll treat you today. Let’s go.”

I took his hand and headed straight to the research lab.

Then I gathered painkillers, disinfectants, and dressing supplies from the medicines I had already made plenty of.

“Take it off.”

Tenoa hesitated at my words, then carefully removed his upper garment.

“Good heavens…”

The child’s wounds were typical signs of abuse.

Especially the old wounds on his back and arms had even become discolored due to continuous abuse.

‘He really only hit places that wouldn’t show.’

Particularly when I confirmed that the shape of the wounds was maintained, as if he hadn’t even resisted, I truly felt my blood boiling.

“Hey.”

At my blunt words, Tenoa slowly turned around, holding his clothes to his chest.

He was still being cautious.

“You didn’t do anything wrong.”

“…!”

“Forget everything that man said. You didn’t do anything wrong at all.”

I spoke to the child as if pleading with him not to forget.

Then.

“Huh? Are you… crying?”

As if he had been waiting, tears flowed from Tenoa’s eyes.

‘Right. Abusers usually commit violence claiming the other person did something wrong.’

As expected, it seemed the same had happened to this child in front of me.

I quickly finished the dressing and then stroked Tenoa’s back.

“Cry all you want. But remember just this one thing. Your life belongs to no one but you.”

“…”

“Don’t live for others instead. Even if they’re your parents.”

“…”

Tenoa nodded very slightly, almost imperceptibly.

Tears were flowing endlessly beneath his nodding head.

I stayed by Tenoa’s side and comforted him.

* * *

After crying for a long while, when I offered him medicine mixed with a sedative, Tenoa began to sip it.

Before long, the boy muttered as if to himself.

“Thank you….”

“Don’t mention it.”

I answered casually while shaking the glass flask.

Glancing over stealthily, I saw that the boy was still rolling his eyes around anxiously.

“He won’t come. I asked the Duke to scold him severely. You’re okay, right?”

The boy flinched slightly at my words, then readily nodded his head.

“But since when? It seems like it’s been about 4 or 5 years.”

The boy looked at me in surprise.

Wounds don’t lie.

Neither the bruise marks on his body nor the scars left by whips.

He let out a small sigh and said.

“At first… he wasn’t like that, but as more people started asking me for medicine, Father seems to have become sensitive.”

Sensitive, my foot. I was so dumbfounded that I let out a hollow laugh.

“He was probably jealous.”

“Jealous…?”

“Yeah. You’re skilled, aren’t you.”

At my words, the boy opened his mouth wide in slight surprise.

Well, maybe it’s because this is his first time being praised?

Well, since I’ve brought it up, I might as well be generous.

“Honestly, I was surprised. You have extensive knowledge about herbs, you understand the interactions between herbs well, and you’re quite dexterous too…. What are you doing?”

As I continued listing compliments, he covered his face with both hands.

I thought his reddened ears visible beside his white, long hands were rather cute.

“Anyway, have confidence. It’s because he’s jealous. Well, you could call it misguided praise?”

As I shrugged playfully, the boy glanced at me through the gaps between his fingers.

“Thank you….”

At his shy words, I set down the flask I was holding with a thud.

“Don’t mention it. I’m the one who should be sorry. If I had known about this situation, I wouldn’t have asked the Duke to lend you to me.”

Honestly, I did think something was strange.

‘I had no idea it was something like this.’

Crucially, when I realized that Tenoa, being a pharmacist, knew medical knowledge in quite detailed depth, I became convinced that something was odd.

‘To think he was planning to hide behind this child.’

As I clicked my tongue, Tenoa suddenly burst into laughter.

“What? Why are you laughing?”

“Just. It’s fascinating.”

“What’s fascinating?”

“I never thought things would turn out like this.”

Tenoa said this while taking another sip of the sedative.

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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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