The Quack Lady - Chapter 76

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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 76

“I want to have a good farewell. So the children won’t feel my absence.”

This isn’t a good farewell.

I moved my hands ceaselessly, hoping and praying desperately that she would somehow survive.

My arm muscles trembled and sweat beaded on my forehead flowed down, but I could only think of saving Grandmother.

“Eruten! Switch with me on three like we talked about before!”

“Got it.”

Eruten then continued with the CPR.

Thanks to teaching him beforehand just in case, he did quite well, but…

‘Pulseless…’

Cardiac arrest.

The sound coming through the stethoscope was faint and weak, as if about to fade away.

What should I do now?

The Duchess’s body was already weakened to its limit.

If I continued to forcefully compress the Duchess’s body, which had problems with muscles and nerves, for a long time…

‘The broken bones will damage her organs.’

Above all, my instinctive intuition was telling me that she had already passed away.

I shook my head.

Just in case.

Maybe if I try just a little more, she might come back to life…

Just a little…

Just a little more…

That’s when it happened.

“Stop… stop it.”

The sobbing sound from behind me brought me back to my senses.

Only then did I realize that I had been frantically compressing her heart together with Tenoa and Eruten.

My whole body was already a mess from flowing sweat.

“Mother looks like she’s in pain…”

Lady Brien sobbed with her face in ruins.

The Duchess’s lips were already turning blue.

Rigor mortis was beginning to set in.

At that moment, all of Grandmother’s moments flashed through my mind.

“You have no charm at all.”

“I want to have a good farewell. Can you help me?”

“I’m sorry. For getting angry back then.”

“You’re a really good doctor.”

I absolutely couldn’t bring myself to speak.

Even after trying so hard, couldn’t I reach her?

The pain in my tattered arms was nothing compared to the pain in my heart.

Only then did I realize that I wasn’t ready yet either.

…I wasn’t ready to let a patient go.

“Sob… sob…!”

I hadn’t cried even in the face of countless deaths in my previous life.

“Sniff… sob…”

Contrary to my heart, spiteful tears kept flowing down.

She was the first patient I had sent away since remembering my previous life.

“Mia…”

Eruten carefully called my name.

My heart collapsed.

The guilt of not being able to protect a life weighed heavily on my entire body.

I opened my mouth with my ruined face.

“The, the Duchess sob… has, has passed away…!”

“Mother… no!”

“Sob, sob sob…”

After barely finishing what I had to do, I fled from that place as if escaping.

…And so the Duchess became a star in the sky in my hands.

Right in my hands.

* * *

The death of a great noble spread throughout the Empire.

This was no exception for the Quais Ducal Family, which was regarded as a great noble house in the Empire.

A letter was also delivered to him as he gazed out the window at the scenic view of snow-covered mountains.

Rowen Quais tore open the letter with calm gestures.

‘It seems Duchess Rubenoa has passed away.’

Soon, as he calmly restored the letter to its original state, Srentte, the head attendant, asked.

“Shall I make preparations?”

At those words, he thought for a moment before handing the letter to the attendant.

“The Duchess’s remains have to return to the Ducal Mansion anyway. It won’t be too late to go to the Ducal Mansion and offer condolences.”

In principle, when a noble died outside their domain, a carriage had to be sent to that location to retrieve the remains.

While technically correct, it was a cold statement, beyond being just rational.

“However, since all the family members are gathered at the Marquis’s Mansion right now, it seems the proper funeral will be held at the Marquis’s Mansion, and only a formal funeral for the domain residents will be held at the Ducal Mansion.”

Attendant Srentte answered as if he found it very regrettable.

“The Marquis’s Mansion…”

After trailing off for a moment, he suddenly thought of Marquis Rapid.

“The Marquis’s Mansion must be turned upside down too. The birth of life and death together.”

“…”

Instead of answering, the attendant bowed his head as if affirming his words.

Soon he asked the attendant with a calm face.

“So. What do you want me to do?”

“…As you said, Duke, the Marquis’s Mansion might be very chaotic, so how about visiting once?”

However, the cold man’s expression remained hardened.

‘Count Hartwin and Count Bernov must help with the work.’

Thinking it was a problem that could disrupt his plans, he was quite troubled.

After moving his lips for a moment, he turned his gaze away.

“I don’t have a hobby of offering comfort.”

“But they would be very pleased if you visited.”

“…”

Srentte smiled kindly and emphasized to him again.

That’s when it happened.

A clear voice etched in his memory like an afterimage disturbed his mind.

“Oh my! Someone is hurt! How can we just pass by this?”

As he clutched his head, the attendant quickly handed him medicine that was nearby without showing any sign of surprise.

“Please take this.”

“…”

He poured the medicine into his mouth and swallowed it all at once.

Medicine that blurred memories.

Strangely, when he took the medicine, the voice circling in his head would disappear.

This was the only way to escape from the breathlessness and the feeling of his heart being squeezed.

“Even taking the medicine doesn’t seem to help much.”

Soon he shook his head.

“You’ve become much more indifferent to emotions since you started taking the medicine.”

The nobles whispered about the man who was colder than even the frigid Northern Region.

“His heart must be frozen like ice.”

“They say he was born that way from the beginning?”

Rowen, recalling the rumors he had heard in passing, asked without any change in expression.

“That sort of thing doesn’t really matter, does it.”

“But Your Grace is also the one who must currently lead and command all the nobles. Right commands and justification alone don’t move people.”

Srentte was the only person who remained by Rowen’s side.

Rowen’s trust in him, who always spoke the truth, was quite high.

When Rowen hesitated, Srentte urgently added more words.

“Your Grace, funerals are not for profit. They are to empathize with people’s grief.”

“…”

“So this time, rather than acting for a purpose, how about visiting to understand and comfort their emotions.”

He could understand emotions.

However, having to move consciously in order to express those emotions was extremely painful.

“Rowen, I love you.”

At the voice that suddenly rang through his head, the Duke collapsed.

“Ugh!”

“Your Grace! Are you alright!”

Srentte quickly supported the Duke.

“Your condition seems particularly poor today. I’ll request that they prescribe more medicine.”

Rowen took the medicine with trembling hands.

‘Just how long do I have to be like this.’

His eyes, clearly showing exhaustion, turned weakly toward the floor.

After she left, everything had become a mess.

“Rowen! If you’re in pain, you have to say you’re in pain, if it’s hard, you have to say it’s hard so I can know!”

“You never once told me you loved me.”

Those damn emotions were the cause, and he who had everything was broken because he couldn’t have just one thing.

What was so important about such a thing.

He gritted his teeth and muttered.

“Such a thing… I’ll try it.”

“Pardon?”

“Comforting emotions… I’ll try it.”

“My goodness, Your Grace!”

Srentte was deeply moved and handed him water.

After roughly swallowing the water as if parched, he commanded Srentte.

“Prepare for departure. I’ll go directly to the Marquis’s mansion.”

* * *

The Duchess’s funeral was conducted through very sacred and complex procedures.

All the people of the Marquis’s estate gathered to mourn the Duchess’s death.

Tenoa was recognized as the Marquis’s estate’s physician and completed the basic procedures in my place.

Of course, the Marchioness wanted to appoint me as the new physician of the Marquis’s estate, but…

“I lack the skill.”

I didn’t want to do anything.

I took a position on part of the castle wall together with Eruten and Demian.

We sat side by side and watched the black procession lined up below the castle wall.

“A carriage will come from the ducal mansion. They’re coming to take Grandmother.”

Demian explained while sniffling with reddened eyes.

“…Stop crying.”

“Right. Drink some water.”

Eruten and I worried about him.

However, Demian half-listened to our words while repeating cycles of crying and muttering.

“Grandmother read me lots of books… She gave me lots of food too…”

“…”

“But now I can’t see Grandmother anymore.”

The child said those words and cried loudly again.

This was the second death Demian had encountered.

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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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