Although I shouted that I would ask questions with interest, I couldn't open my mouth easily. It was understandable, because all the employment proposals I had meticulously prepared were basically useless.
My first goal was to hire an apothecary and send him into the forest with the knights.
The aim is to check if any more medicinal herbs have not yet been developed in the forest, secure varieties, and try cultivating them in large quantities in the fields.
According to the journal I received from the hunter Tilatha, there was a high probability that rare plants would grow inside the forest where the medicines were found. Is it the energy of the Earth? At any rate, that was the clue.
If God is still on my side, I might be able to find the real elixir of life that I offered to the Emperor.
But the only herbalist in Vostok was not just any herbalist, but someone who had kicked away the honor of being a court doctor. I don’t know what he wants, but it’s not just money.
After a brief calculation, I finally looked up. The old man smiled and said,
“Have you finished thinking about it?”
“To some extent... I saw your research journal on the endemic diseases of this region. If the name written on the front of the journal is correct, then your name is probably Edgar, right?”
"That..."
“Don’t answer. If you think you can use that as an excuse to deduct one question from my answer.”
The old man licked his lips with a regretful expression. Now I know a little about the old man's personality.
“Edgar, what I’m curious about is how far the research has progressed. Have they found a cure for Renouac’s disease?”
“That is... both true and false.”
“I need a little more clarity.”
The old man, Edgar, shrugged his shoulders as if he had no other choice.
“It is true that we have studied the treatment method. We have also identified the cause to some extent. However, research is just research, and there is no guarantee that it can cure everyone.”
“It’s just research... Then you’re saying that you haven’t actually treated any patients?”
I chose my words slowly to avoid asking questions. Even if I couldn't hear the answer perfectly, I could guess the answer from the expression that passed across the old man's face.
But Edgar didn't seem to have any intention of doing as I wished. He wiggled his butt.
“That’s right. And that won’t work, Highness Majesty. I’ll deduct two questions.”
“Where is that!”
“It's here.”
“I was just talking to myself!”
“That is just Your Highness’s one-sided opinion.”
“...Both of you, stop.”
The childish argument was mediated by Enoch. I puffed out my cheeks in dissatisfaction.
“This was an unfair and cowardly trick.”
“I will give you back the exact same words.”
Edgar grumbled and retorted. We glared at each other. I was the first to relent. Now was the time to bow down and go inside.
Attracting people by force or material possessions brings about bad results.
When Olga had power, the people in the back alleys would bow down to her every word. But as Olga lost her health and strength, and her wealth began to dwindle, everyone gradually turned away from her.
This time it was the same. I could subdue Edgar with my status as a Princess, but then he would surely betray me at the crucial moment.
I gathered my thoughts and opened my mouth in a more generous tone.
“Anyway, since we both did something wrong, I’ll let you ask one question. But, when all the questions are over, let me make one suggestion.”
Edgar, who had been deep in thought, nodded slowly.
“...If you just listen, it’s not difficult.”
I looked around the small room we were sitting in before asking my last question.
No matter how you looked at it, it was closer to a very old and shabby clinic than a pharmacy. You could tell just by looking at the fact that there was only one chair and two beds, and also because there were so many new medical devices that I had never even seen when I was a commoner.
The conclusion was clear.
“Are you interested in running a hospital?”
“...Can I be honest with you?”
“To be quite honest.”
“It is true that I ran away from the palace to open a hospital. However, I have no interest in opening a hospital for the upper class with the support of the nobility or the imperial family.”
Edgar said firmly.
"Then..."
“If Your Highness is suggesting opening a hospital, I will decline. I wish to practice medicine without any external pressure.”
Edgar immediately came to the castle after packing some of his belongings.
And from the next day, he began to treat Sonya. Compared to the palace doctor who examined Sonya with extreme caution, Edgar's treatment was somewhat aggressive.
“I was administered medication.”
That's what he said half a day after he started treating Sonya.
I was so surprised that I almost opened my mouth and forgot I was eating. I chewed and swallowed my food quickly and spoke.
“Already? You said you weren’t sure about the treatment yet.”
“I tried using only a quarter of the usual dosage. She was so young, and the disease was still in its early stages.”
“Usually? But you’ve definitely never treated a patient before...”
Edgar's scowling face clearly showed his annoyance at dealing with idiots.
He flicked his left forearm.
"Oh my god."
The old man's wrinkled arms were dotted with spots, a precursor to Renouac's disease.
But even to me, it looked a little different from Sonya's spots. While Sonya's turned red every day, Edgar's were very light and faint.
“Surely not, you...”
I looked at Edgar, unable to hide my astonishment. He met my gaze with a calm look, as mad researchers often do.
“How do we know if a treatment is effective if there are no patients?”
“...So you experimented on your body?”
“Because there was no other way. I knew that the treatment had been developed because it was effective on my body.”
That's true, but I chewed my lips nervously.
More than anything, I was worried about Sonya. Even if it weren't for Edgar, the palace doctor was right next to me, so her life wouldn't be in danger.
... It really shouldn’t exist. I almost bit my fingernails. I clenched my fists to suppress the urge and asked.
“If the treatment is effective, how long will it take to see results?”
“Starting tonight, the spots will start to fade.”
The spots on her arm didn't fade at all. As soon as I heard the news, I went to see Sonya.
Sonya, who was lying on a bed in a makeshift examination room, burst into tears as soon as she saw me.
“Your Highness... I’m scared.”
“Easy, it’s okay.”
I hugged her tightly. It was necessary, if only to hide my trembling eyes.
I felt Sonya's small hands grabbing the hem of my dress. They were desperate. It was like I was back when I was eighteen and didn't know what to do with Olga.
I held Sonya until she fell asleep, then carefully laid her down on the bed.
“Sonya just fell asleep.”
I opened the door and brought my index finger up to my mouth so that Edgar could see clearly as he came in. The child's eyes, which had been crying and falling asleep, sparkled.
At first, she didn't know, but now Sonya knew about her illness. It was incurable. It was too much for someone so young to handle.
“We will administer the medication in increased dosage.”
Edgar said so in a businesslike tone. I almost glared at him. My lips were stiff, as if they were not mine.
“It hasn’t worked yet, so is it okay to continue like this?”
“The dosage of the drug was too small to be effective.”
“But Sonya is scared. Isn’t there another treatment? It’s not like they’re just prescribing strong medicine without any immediate effect...”
“That’s why I said I didn’t like external pressure.”
Edgar let out a deep sigh and spoke in his characteristically stern tone.
“Once you entrust me with treatment, you must trust me until the end. If you stop halfway, the effectiveness of the treatment will only decrease.”
Edgar, who had reverted to his original doctor form, seemed unconvinced by anything I said. It seemed as if all the flexibility he had shown in his daily life had disappeared.
To be honest, I didn't know a thing about medicine. I knew in my head that it was better to follow the advice of experts, but... my heart was a different matter.
I looked at the palace doctor standing behind Edgar as if asking for help. The palace doctor cautiously opened his mouth at my gaze.
“In fact... if you stop taking the treatment in the middle, you may develop resistance to the treatment.”
You're becoming resistant? Edgar added sarcastically, as I was surprised.
“Your Highness, if you worry about such trivial knowledge, you will endanger the child’s life.”
The palace doctor grabbed Edgar's sleeve in a hurry. It was a rude remark, but it was an attitude that could only be shown because he was confident. It was also a scene where you could see why he even refused the palace doctor's position and ran out of the palace.
Anyway, I didn't hate capable nerds.
“Are you that confident?”
There was a firm light in Edgar's eyes.
“Yes. I will do my best.”
I started this job to get help from the maid, but I don't know how I ended up here.
I fell onto the desk, clutching my pounding head. That's when I heard a knock on the door.
"Your Highness."
My first goal was to hire an apothecary and send him into the forest with the knights.
The aim is to check if any more medicinal herbs have not yet been developed in the forest, secure varieties, and try cultivating them in large quantities in the fields.
According to the journal I received from the hunter Tilatha, there was a high probability that rare plants would grow inside the forest where the medicines were found. Is it the energy of the Earth? At any rate, that was the clue.
If God is still on my side, I might be able to find the real elixir of life that I offered to the Emperor.
But the only herbalist in Vostok was not just any herbalist, but someone who had kicked away the honor of being a court doctor. I don’t know what he wants, but it’s not just money.
After a brief calculation, I finally looked up. The old man smiled and said,
“Have you finished thinking about it?”
“To some extent... I saw your research journal on the endemic diseases of this region. If the name written on the front of the journal is correct, then your name is probably Edgar, right?”
"That..."
“Don’t answer. If you think you can use that as an excuse to deduct one question from my answer.”
The old man licked his lips with a regretful expression. Now I know a little about the old man's personality.
“Edgar, what I’m curious about is how far the research has progressed. Have they found a cure for Renouac’s disease?”
“That is... both true and false.”
“I need a little more clarity.”
The old man, Edgar, shrugged his shoulders as if he had no other choice.
“It is true that we have studied the treatment method. We have also identified the cause to some extent. However, research is just research, and there is no guarantee that it can cure everyone.”
“It’s just research... Then you’re saying that you haven’t actually treated any patients?”
I chose my words slowly to avoid asking questions. Even if I couldn't hear the answer perfectly, I could guess the answer from the expression that passed across the old man's face.
But Edgar didn't seem to have any intention of doing as I wished. He wiggled his butt.
“That’s right. And that won’t work, Highness Majesty. I’ll deduct two questions.”
“Where is that!”
“It's here.”
“I was just talking to myself!”
“That is just Your Highness’s one-sided opinion.”
“...Both of you, stop.”
The childish argument was mediated by Enoch. I puffed out my cheeks in dissatisfaction.
“This was an unfair and cowardly trick.”
“I will give you back the exact same words.”
Edgar grumbled and retorted. We glared at each other. I was the first to relent. Now was the time to bow down and go inside.
Attracting people by force or material possessions brings about bad results.
When Olga had power, the people in the back alleys would bow down to her every word. But as Olga lost her health and strength, and her wealth began to dwindle, everyone gradually turned away from her.
This time it was the same. I could subdue Edgar with my status as a Princess, but then he would surely betray me at the crucial moment.
I gathered my thoughts and opened my mouth in a more generous tone.
“Anyway, since we both did something wrong, I’ll let you ask one question. But, when all the questions are over, let me make one suggestion.”
Edgar, who had been deep in thought, nodded slowly.
“...If you just listen, it’s not difficult.”
I looked around the small room we were sitting in before asking my last question.
No matter how you looked at it, it was closer to a very old and shabby clinic than a pharmacy. You could tell just by looking at the fact that there was only one chair and two beds, and also because there were so many new medical devices that I had never even seen when I was a commoner.
The conclusion was clear.
“Are you interested in running a hospital?”
“...Can I be honest with you?”
“To be quite honest.”
“It is true that I ran away from the palace to open a hospital. However, I have no interest in opening a hospital for the upper class with the support of the nobility or the imperial family.”
Edgar said firmly.
"Then..."
“If Your Highness is suggesting opening a hospital, I will decline. I wish to practice medicine without any external pressure.”
...He seemed like a real weirdo. Or a total dreamer. Either way, I didn't hate him.
“The fact that you insist on using Vostok despite being ostracized to the point of struggling to make ends meet in such a shabby store must be because of your sense of mission regarding Renouac’s disease. The reason you haven’t been able to be certain of a cure even after developing one is because no one has come to you for treatment.”
“...”
“Here’s my suggestion. There’s a girl with Renouac’s disease. Let’s cure her.”
“...”
“If you do that, I will give you as much wealth as you want.”
A faint conflict spread across Edgar's wrinkled, old face. I drove a wedge into that hesitation.
“At least enough to set up a hospital in a nice building, a lot.”
“The fact that you insist on using Vostok despite being ostracized to the point of struggling to make ends meet in such a shabby store must be because of your sense of mission regarding Renouac’s disease. The reason you haven’t been able to be certain of a cure even after developing one is because no one has come to you for treatment.”
“...”
“Here’s my suggestion. There’s a girl with Renouac’s disease. Let’s cure her.”
“...”
“If you do that, I will give you as much wealth as you want.”
A faint conflict spread across Edgar's wrinkled, old face. I drove a wedge into that hesitation.
“At least enough to set up a hospital in a nice building, a lot.”
***
Edgar immediately came to the castle after packing some of his belongings.
And from the next day, he began to treat Sonya. Compared to the palace doctor who examined Sonya with extreme caution, Edgar's treatment was somewhat aggressive.
“I was administered medication.”
That's what he said half a day after he started treating Sonya.
I was so surprised that I almost opened my mouth and forgot I was eating. I chewed and swallowed my food quickly and spoke.
“Already? You said you weren’t sure about the treatment yet.”
“I tried using only a quarter of the usual dosage. She was so young, and the disease was still in its early stages.”
“Usually? But you’ve definitely never treated a patient before...”
Edgar's scowling face clearly showed his annoyance at dealing with idiots.
He flicked his left forearm.
"Oh my god."
The old man's wrinkled arms were dotted with spots, a precursor to Renouac's disease.
But even to me, it looked a little different from Sonya's spots. While Sonya's turned red every day, Edgar's were very light and faint.
“Surely not, you...”
I looked at Edgar, unable to hide my astonishment. He met my gaze with a calm look, as mad researchers often do.
“How do we know if a treatment is effective if there are no patients?”
“...So you experimented on your body?”
“Because there was no other way. I knew that the treatment had been developed because it was effective on my body.”
That's true, but I chewed my lips nervously.
More than anything, I was worried about Sonya. Even if it weren't for Edgar, the palace doctor was right next to me, so her life wouldn't be in danger.
... It really shouldn’t exist. I almost bit my fingernails. I clenched my fists to suppress the urge and asked.
“If the treatment is effective, how long will it take to see results?”
“Starting tonight, the spots will start to fade.”
***
The spots on her arm didn't fade at all. As soon as I heard the news, I went to see Sonya.
Sonya, who was lying on a bed in a makeshift examination room, burst into tears as soon as she saw me.
“Your Highness... I’m scared.”
“Easy, it’s okay.”
I hugged her tightly. It was necessary, if only to hide my trembling eyes.
I felt Sonya's small hands grabbing the hem of my dress. They were desperate. It was like I was back when I was eighteen and didn't know what to do with Olga.
I held Sonya until she fell asleep, then carefully laid her down on the bed.
“Sonya just fell asleep.”
I opened the door and brought my index finger up to my mouth so that Edgar could see clearly as he came in. The child's eyes, which had been crying and falling asleep, sparkled.
At first, she didn't know, but now Sonya knew about her illness. It was incurable. It was too much for someone so young to handle.
“We will administer the medication in increased dosage.”
Edgar said so in a businesslike tone. I almost glared at him. My lips were stiff, as if they were not mine.
“It hasn’t worked yet, so is it okay to continue like this?”
“The dosage of the drug was too small to be effective.”
“But Sonya is scared. Isn’t there another treatment? It’s not like they’re just prescribing strong medicine without any immediate effect...”
“That’s why I said I didn’t like external pressure.”
Edgar let out a deep sigh and spoke in his characteristically stern tone.
“Once you entrust me with treatment, you must trust me until the end. If you stop halfway, the effectiveness of the treatment will only decrease.”
Edgar, who had reverted to his original doctor form, seemed unconvinced by anything I said. It seemed as if all the flexibility he had shown in his daily life had disappeared.
To be honest, I didn't know a thing about medicine. I knew in my head that it was better to follow the advice of experts, but... my heart was a different matter.
I looked at the palace doctor standing behind Edgar as if asking for help. The palace doctor cautiously opened his mouth at my gaze.
“In fact... if you stop taking the treatment in the middle, you may develop resistance to the treatment.”
You're becoming resistant? Edgar added sarcastically, as I was surprised.
“Your Highness, if you worry about such trivial knowledge, you will endanger the child’s life.”
The palace doctor grabbed Edgar's sleeve in a hurry. It was a rude remark, but it was an attitude that could only be shown because he was confident. It was also a scene where you could see why he even refused the palace doctor's position and ran out of the palace.
Anyway, I didn't hate capable nerds.
“Are you that confident?”
There was a firm light in Edgar's eyes.
“Yes. I will do my best.”
***
I started this job to get help from the maid, but I don't know how I ended up here.
I fell onto the desk, clutching my pounding head. That's when I heard a knock on the door.
"Your Highness."
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