The Quack Lady - Chapter 8
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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 8
* * *
Despite the commotion at dawn, my biological clock moved like clockwork.
Like the other maids, my eyes snapped open at dawn.
‘Might as well get up.’
I sat in front of the large desk that didn’t consider my height and pressed my forehead.
Normally, I would have to check if the herbs had softened overnight, what herbs would be coming in the morning, and so on.
‘Is it really okay to be like this?’
Suddenly having time to spare, I was quite troubled about what to do.
Having no choice, I thought I should at least make future plans and opened the drawer to see if there was anything suitable to write on.
Fortunately, when I searched inside, there was parchment and some slightly dried ink.
Thinking I should write something, I began writing things down one by one.
“First, rest here for about three or four days…? Then naturally retire…”
As I spread my ambitious dreams on the parchment, a smile curved around my lips.
“Sewing… no, suturing actually went better than expected.”
Even though I had done it thousands of times in my previous life, this was the first time I had done it directly in this life. Contrary to my expectation that I wouldn’t do well, I first felt that it was manageable.
“Did I have more talent than I thought? Should I just become a doctor?”
But that was as far as it went. Medical sites are places with many risk factors, and you have to face patients as routinely as eating. Above all, becoming a doctor once again didn’t appeal to me.
“Then I should go to the capital city.”
If I lived by doing sewing for wealthy merchants or nobles, I could at least make ends meet.
Even if not abundantly, earning money moderately and spending the time given to me for myself.
“That’s pretty nice, isn’t it?”
Just as I was smiling with satisfaction, thinking this was the only answer, I suddenly heard a knock.
“Rtemeia? May I come in for a moment?”
“Ah! Yes, yes, please come in, Mr. Pairon!”
Mr. Pairon came inside through the slightly open door with a gentle smile.
Of course.
“Kid, you didn’t cause any trouble during the night, did you?”
Mr. Baeknaeng was also with him, glaring at me with half-closed eyes.
“It’s nothing much, but I’d like to hear a bit more explanation about the arm. I’ll need to ask for treatment going forward.”
“Ah, yes, of course.”
When I pointed to the sofa in the room I had grown accustomed to, Mr. Pairon sat down with a pleased smile.
“As I mentioned during the meal, a shoulder that has been dislocated once is prone to re-dislocation. You need to regularly change the bandages and carefully observe whether there are any inflammatory reactions and whether the repositioned bone is healing well.”
“Hmm. I see.”
“Generously speaking, in about one to two weeks, the bone should solidify to some extent. Actually, it would be really good if we could apply a splint*, but…”
A cast hardened with plaster.
“Splint?”
“Oh, never mind.”
I unnecessarily turned my gaze elsewhere. Even when there was a better option, not being able to use it due to lack of materials felt bitterly disappointing.
‘I can’t even make a splint…’
As I unnecessarily wiped around my mouth, Mr. Pairon smiled as if finding it cute.
“Then I’ll have to ask you for treatment for about one to two weeks. Unfortunately, there’s no doctor here who can fix my arm.”
“Ah…”
I let out a low exclamation. Diseases requiring such management were often deemed incurable in this world.
Even though they were diseases that could be easily cured if one just knew the proper treatment methods.
“Still, I’m really fortunate to have met you, Rtemeia. At any rate, my arm doesn’t hurt anymore.”
Mr. Pairon looked at the bandages I had tightly wrapped with a satisfied expression.
Then he asked me to treat him according to his schedule.
It was like being a personal physician, so to speak.
‘I don’t want to see any more patients though…’
But having decided to quit the infirmary, I couldn’t miss a good opportunity to make a lump sum.
“Then I should see you every evening before dinner, Mr. Pairon? And before that, I’ll also check if I can help whenever problems arise.”
“That’s right.”
“Then…”
When I raised my head and sparkled my eyes, Mr. Pairon looked puzzled for a moment.
With a sly smile on my lips, I brought my thumb and index finger together to form a circle.
Mr. Pairon, you should pay for the treatment, right?
* * *
Hanel, who had been walking down the corridor, finally burst into laughter he had been holding back upon seeing Mr. Pairon.
“Puhahahaha!”
“…”
“You didn’t see your own expression, did you? What a pity. I wanted to call a painter to draw a picture of it.”
“That was…!”
Just moments ago, at the desire Rtemeia had shown, Mr. Pairon had only blinked his eyes, and Rtemeia had said there’s no such thing as free in this world, adding why someone who should know better was acting like this.
Only then did his face, realizing something, turn bright red.
“Being a merchant guild leader and all. So you wanted to receive free treatment from the child?”
“That’s not it…!”
He had been too busy looking at the child with a pleased expression to think about it.
Thinking he had done something foolish, he let out a frustrated sigh.
“Anyway, she seems quite clear about one purpose. This thing.”
Hanel stopped his hearty laughter and brought his thumb and index finger together to form a small circle.
It was a gesture representing money, so to speak.
“…That’s true.”
“It’s better that it’s money. Better than aiming for something strange.”
“That’s true, but…”
“You seem quite disappointed?”
Mr. Pairon couldn’t deny it. On one hand, it was true that he felt quite disappointed.
‘What am I doing with a young child?’
It was just that her smart appearance and interest in herbs reminded him of the child buried in his heart.
So he had enjoyed conversing with the child without any particular conditions.
But money.
“Yes. You’re right.”
At Mr. Pairon’s agreement with a slightly sulky face, Hanel patted his shoulder.
“Don’t be too disappointed. I understand, after all.”
“…”
“By the way, are you going to leave that kid in those clothes? It’s too undignified.”
Mr. Pairon’s gaze immediately turned to Hanel.
Silky white long hair, blue eyes and glasses positioned below it.
Above all, wrapped in expensive green fabric, he gave off the feeling of a god drawn in temple murals.
It was typical of him, who usually paid a lot of attention to appearances.
“There are so many different fabrics in the world. These are all tools that represent oneself…”
“If that’s the case, how about you take her out and buy her some clothes?”
“What? Me? Why?”
Hanel exclaimed and jumped up. Mr. Pairon instinctively smiled and pushed his back.
“Why? Isn’t the ‘dignity’ of the doctor treating the merchant guild leader important too, Vice Guild Leader?”
“…”
“Well then. Make sure to return before evening.”
Pushed back by his rough strength, Hanel looked at Mr. Pairon’s retreating figure with bewilderment.
“He makes me do all the troublesome things.”
With his eyes half-closed, he turned around. His somewhat light steps headed toward the direction where Rtemeia was staying.
* * *
Hanel Brighton.
He’s Mr. Pairon’s best friend and the vice guild master of the Herb Merchant’s Guild ‘Aphenus’ that Mr. Pairon runs.
Just looking at him, his personality seems as formidable as his strict impression.
But to think I have to sit facing such a person inside a carriage.
“Come on, you should at least tell me where we’re going.”
“If you knew where we’re going? What would you do? Run away?”
“If it’s somewhere I need to run away from.”
“Seriously, won’t you back down even a little?”
Mr. Pairon let out a long sigh while facing me inside the carriage.
‘Don’t you think it’s natural to ask questions when someone suddenly says you need to go somewhere together?’
I had no choice but to follow since it was Mr. Pairon’s order, but I was still dissatisfied.
I was briefly thinking ‘I should have just said I was sick and done my own work’ when.
“Get out.”
Leaving behind those simple words, he slid out of the carriage and walked ahead.
Grumbling as I followed behind him like a puppy, we arrived in front of a high-end shop.
He opened the door without hesitation, and the shop owner inside brightened up upon seeing him.
“Oh my! Brighton! It’s been so long since you’ve come!”
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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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