Episode 89. The Most Trustworthy Person
Mark left the children's bedroom with a heavy heart.
As he came down the second floor, the sky outside the window was turning a light blue and was getting brighter.
However, something was getting closer, raising dust in the distance. It was a carriage rushing toward him.
'Is there an urgent patient?'
The carriage, which was getting closer, had the wolf emblem that symbolized the Count of the Weiss family.
'Why the Count's carriage at this hour?'
As soon as the carriage stopped, a woman hurriedly jumped out.
"Adele?"
Mark doubted his eyes. She had appeared as if by magic just after Jade and he had talked.
However, her clothes were covered in blood. On top of that, her hands and face were covered in blood.
"Adele! What the...?"
"Mark, help me, please!"
Adele shouted urgently with a pale face.
"Are you hurt?"
When Mark ran over in surprise, she quickly shook her head.
“Not me...”
Adele paused for a moment and dragged Mark over to look inside the carriage.
“...!”
Mark was so shocked that he couldn’t even make a sound when he saw the bloody wolf crouching down.
Although he had a lot of experience as a veterinarian, this was his first time seeing such a large wolf. On top of that, it had such dazzling silver fur.
What was even more surprising was Adele’s attitude toward the dying wolf. She approached the wolf again, stroked its nape, and whispered something. She was as gentle and careful as if she were soothing a sick baby.
“Do you want me to treat this wolf?”
When Mark looked dumbfounded, Adele cried and begged.
“Please, Mark. I know it’s shameless to come here like this, but you were the only one.”
Jennifer got down from the coachman’s seat and went even further.
“Treat him right now!”
He pulled out a knife and pointed it at Mark’s neck.
Mark seemed to be still half asleep. Suddenly, Adele appeared with a strange bloody wolf, and if he was not careful, his throat would have been cut off, and he would have died.
All this happened in just a minute or two.
“Jennifer, what are you doing! Put the knife away right now!”
“But the captain...”
“Jennifer!”
Jennifer quickly shut his mouth and put the knife away at Adele’s sharp cry.
“Adele, I’m not having a nightmare, am I?”
Mark asked, barely coming to his senses.
“I’m sorry. We got a little excited because we ran all night from Bluegale.”
“You’re coming from Bluegale right now?”
“I really ran without sleeping.”
Jennifer seemed to change his strategy this time and try to gain Mark’s sympathy. When he opened his hands that had been holding the reins and whip, his skin was peeling and bleeding.
“Hmm...”
Mark sighed and quickly rolled up his sleeves.
“It can’t be shameful to bring a patient to a doctor. Let’s take a look.”
As he obediently entered the carriage, Adele and Jennifer were relieved that they had barely survived.
Adele thought that Mark was the only one who could save Christine. He was a competent veterinarian and had treated people all along.
And above all, he was someone she could trust.
Of course, she knew that coming here was bad for Mark, but right now, she didn’t want to think about anything other than saving Christine.
Mark, who was examining the bloody wolf’s condition, clicked his tongue softly.
“How did it happen...?”
“How is it? Can he be saved?”
“A doctor is never sure about any patient. He just does his best.”
He could have said something comforting, but Mark was cold. However, the hands that were skillfully examining the wounds were more trustworthy than any words.
“We should start by suturing the wounds on your shoulder and side! Adele, hurry and get the medical bag from my clinic and bring it.”
“Yes, Mark!”
When Adele ran over,
“Hey, that big guy over there, help me out.”
Big guy...!
Jennifer would have made a fuss normally, but now he had no choice but to obediently listen to Mark.
“Understood, doctor.”
***
The water Mark had used to wash his hands had turned completely red.
Mark’s assistant Judy, who had been sleeping, quickly got ready and came out to help him. Not only Mark’s clothes, but even Judy’s apron was soaked in blood.
Bam!
When the door to the examination room finally opened, Adele, who had been waiting anxiously in the hallway, quickly came over.
“Did the surgery go well?”
“The blood vessels and wounds were sutured well. However, since there was a lot of bleeding and the wounds were extensive, I think we’ll have to wait and see.”
Contrary to Mark’s cautious words, the silver wolf in the examination room was breathing much more calmly. Its eyes were quietly closed, as if it were deeply asleep.
However, Adele felt uneasy just looking at it.
What if it doesn’t wake up?
“I injected it with painkillers, so it should continue to sleep for a while.”
“You’ll wake up in the evening, right?”
“Let’s try to do that.”
“Thank you so much, Mark. I’m just saying hello now because I was so flustered. If it weren’t for you, I would have been in big trouble.”
“I’ll thank you later. Instead, I’d like us to talk quietly.”
Mark said, conscious of Judy cleaning up and Jennifer standing behind Adele like a barrier.
Adele instinctively knew what he was going to say. It was natural for Mark, a competent veterinarian, to have questions about the silver wolf.
Chuck!
Jennifer stood behind Adele and said firmly,
“That won’t do. Miss Adele is someone I am responsible for and protecting.”
“Oh, this old man, that’s a bit strange. What are you referring to as our doctor right now?”
Judy, who was gathering surgical tools, also said something.
Of course, Jennifer also frowned, not wanting to be outdone.
“Old man? No, who is this woman who looks like a dried cucumber calling me an old man?”
“What? A dried cucumber? Oh my, this old man is provoking me for the first time in a while.”
While the two were engaging in a fierce staring contest, Mark and Adele left.
“I’m sorry, but I can’t answer difficult questions. I don’t want to lie to you.”
Adele, who came to the porch at the entrance of the mansion with Mark, declared first.
It would be better not to answer at all than to lie to the grateful man.
“Yes. Then let’s start with a simple question. That wolf is the infamous silver wolf, right?”
Adele’s expression wavered at the question that immediately cut to the heart of the matter.
“That expression is enough of an answer.”
Adele added as if she were wronged.
“The silver wolf is right, but he never hurt anyone! The serial killer of Greenhill was Stone Oswald!”
“I know. I read the articles too.”
“I’m sorry. I’m afraid you might be misunderstood...”
Mark, who had been staring blankly at Adele, tilted his head.
“But Adele, you talk about that wolf as if it were a person.”
“...!”
Mark asked cautiously again.
“That wolf is... Count Weiss?”
“What are you talking about! Such ridiculous jokes are not funny.”
Adele stubbornly denied it as if she were dumbfounded. However, his persistent gaze seemed to be interrogating her.
“Didn’t you say you wouldn’t lie to me?”
“Mark...”
He sighed softly and sat down on a bench.
“I have a hobby of collecting old books. I read about the wolf clan there. They can freely change into human and wolf forms. What sets them apart from regular wolves is their large size and five claws. That silver wolf must be a wolf clan.”
“Please... pretend you don’t know, Mark.”
Adele’s voice trembled.
“I’m not so easy-going as to go around telling my patients’ secrets.”
“Thank you very much.”
Adele felt relieved. In fact, the reason she ran all night to get here was because she trusted him.
She thought Mark would keep Christine’s secret even if he found out his true identity.
“But it’s a little strange. I heard that the wolf clan’s regenerative ability is quite good...”
“Zimmer said the same thing. But it doesn’t seem to have gotten any better since the first time he was hurt.”
“No. The place where he was hit by the arrow was slowly healing. The problem was the bite wound. If I had been even a little late, it would have become necrotic beyond repair.”
“Are you saying that only the bite wound didn’t heal?”
“In my opinion, yes. What kind of beast would do that? Few beasts can bite off such developed muscles in one breath. I mean, the jaw strength is incredible.”
“Stone Oswald.”
Mark doubted his ears at first, but then asked cautiously.
“Stone Oswald, too... is he a wolf clan?”
Mark said, conscious of Judy cleaning up and Jennifer standing behind Adele like a barrier.
Adele instinctively knew what he was going to say. It was natural for Mark, a competent veterinarian, to have questions about the silver wolf.
Chuck!
Jennifer stood behind Adele and said firmly,
“That won’t do. Miss Adele is someone I am responsible for and protecting.”
“Oh, this old man, that’s a bit strange. What are you referring to as our doctor right now?”
Judy, who was gathering surgical tools, also said something.
Of course, Jennifer also frowned, not wanting to be outdone.
“Old man? No, who is this woman who looks like a dried cucumber calling me an old man?”
“What? A dried cucumber? Oh my, this old man is provoking me for the first time in a while.”
While the two were engaging in a fierce staring contest, Mark and Adele left.
***
“I’m sorry, but I can’t answer difficult questions. I don’t want to lie to you.”
Adele, who came to the porch at the entrance of the mansion with Mark, declared first.
It would be better not to answer at all than to lie to the grateful man.
“Yes. Then let’s start with a simple question. That wolf is the infamous silver wolf, right?”
Adele’s expression wavered at the question that immediately cut to the heart of the matter.
“That expression is enough of an answer.”
Adele added as if she were wronged.
“The silver wolf is right, but he never hurt anyone! The serial killer of Greenhill was Stone Oswald!”
“I know. I read the articles too.”
“I’m sorry. I’m afraid you might be misunderstood...”
Mark, who had been staring blankly at Adele, tilted his head.
“But Adele, you talk about that wolf as if it were a person.”
“...!”
Mark asked cautiously again.
“That wolf is... Count Weiss?”
“What are you talking about! Such ridiculous jokes are not funny.”
Adele stubbornly denied it as if she were dumbfounded. However, his persistent gaze seemed to be interrogating her.
“Didn’t you say you wouldn’t lie to me?”
“Mark...”
He sighed softly and sat down on a bench.
“I have a hobby of collecting old books. I read about the wolf clan there. They can freely change into human and wolf forms. What sets them apart from regular wolves is their large size and five claws. That silver wolf must be a wolf clan.”
“Please... pretend you don’t know, Mark.”
Adele’s voice trembled.
“I’m not so easy-going as to go around telling my patients’ secrets.”
“Thank you very much.”
Adele felt relieved. In fact, the reason she ran all night to get here was because she trusted him.
She thought Mark would keep Christine’s secret even if he found out his true identity.
“But it’s a little strange. I heard that the wolf clan’s regenerative ability is quite good...”
“Zimmer said the same thing. But it doesn’t seem to have gotten any better since the first time he was hurt.”
“No. The place where he was hit by the arrow was slowly healing. The problem was the bite wound. If I had been even a little late, it would have become necrotic beyond repair.”
“Are you saying that only the bite wound didn’t heal?”
“In my opinion, yes. What kind of beast would do that? Few beasts can bite off such developed muscles in one breath. I mean, the jaw strength is incredible.”
“Stone Oswald.”
Mark doubted his ears at first, but then asked cautiously.
“Stone Oswald, too... is he a wolf clan?”
“Yes.”
“I understand everything now. I thought it wasn’t human work when I read the Greenhill serial killer article. But I was surprised that Stone Oswald was caught as the culprit. But if he’s a member of the Wolf Clan, then everything makes sense.”
“Stone tried to blame all his crimes on the Silver Wolf. He was finally caught, but the Emperor let him go.”
That’s why Christine is now in such a desperate situation.
Adele could never forgive Jan.
“The Emperor let him go again, knowing all this?”
“Because he has to marry Princess April.”
“His Majesty knows he’s a member of the Wolf Clan, and he's marrying his daughter to such a horrible murderer?”
Mark was dumbfounded.
Of course, Adele couldn’t understand it either. But she had long ago given up on understanding the thoughts of those cunning men.
“But don’t worry. Stone won’t be able to commit murder again.”
Adele thought back to last night. It was dark, but she could see clearly. The pistol he shot shattered the guy’s head into pieces.
This time, he shot him accurately without any hesitation.
Furthermore, in Christine’s case, bite wounds healed slowly. Stone had been bitten in several places by Christine.
So even if he was a member of the wolf clan with excellent regenerative abilities, it would be difficult for him to come back to life.
Now, all he had to do was for Christine to come back to life unscathed.
Then, Adele could finally stretch out her legs and sleep soundly.
She had finally avenged her mother.
“Auntie Adele?”
At that moment, Adele turned her head at the sound of a child’s voice behind her.
Jade, with his messy brown curly hair and pajamas, was standing there, rubbing his eyes.
The moment she saw him, Adele forgot all her worries and laughed.
“Hello, Jade?”
“Wow... You’re real...”
“I missed you.”
When Adele spread her arms and laughed,
“Wow! Me too, me too!”
Jade cried out... He ran and hugged her tightly.
***
Adele entered the kitchen in the mansion with Jade.
She wanted to treat Mark and the people who helped her to breakfast. It was the only thing she could do right now.
Besides, Jade was giving Adele an earnest look in her eyes, wanting to cook with her.
“Make some bean soup.”
Jade said he would help Adele and stood by the kitchen counter wearing an apron.
“Jade likes beans.”
“Yes, because you have to eat beans to be strong.”
“You have to eat beans and carrots well to be strong.”
“...!”
Adele barely managed to hold back her laughter as she watched the child’s pupils dilate in confusion.
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