Chapter: 04
Four in the morning.
In the room where the aide was sleeping, only shallow breaths could be heard.
Blasion sat on the chair beside the bed, staring at his own hand.
“Why are you moving so slowly? If you have nothing to do, at least hold his hand!”
He knew that woman meant for him to hold the aide’s hand.
However, he had intentionally ignored her words.
Watching those delicate hands grasp a scalpel without hesitation had been fascinating.
He had even wondered about her physical structure—just how could such a small person produce such a powerful roar?
So he held that tiny hand.
Because he wondered if perhaps she, like him, was some kind of special existence.
But…
‘…It was just a small hand.’
Knock, knock.
As if interrupting his thoughts, there was a knock at the door.
A moment later, a young man wearing a uniform entered.
His black hair and blue eyes gave him a neat appearance.
“I apologize, Your Grace Duke. I failed to prevent another suicide attempt. However, just like always, the person used aconite concentrate.”
Blasion recalled the sixteenth and twenty-third personal physicians who had taken their own lives using the same poison.
Twice could be called a coincidence.
But three times was a pattern.
It meant there was surely someone giving orders from behind the scenes.
Having reached that conclusion, Blasion nodded.
“It is not your fault. Dispose of the body discreetly.”
“I shall carry out your orders.”
The young man bowed and then turned his gaze toward the bed.
Feeling the stare, Kaylen narrowed his eyes.
“…Everlain. I almost died and came back.”
“It seems that way. By the way, what is that tube stuck in your chest?”
After hearing the entire story, Everlain’s eyes widened in surprise.
“I have never heard of this treatment method before. Moreover, isn’t this a distillation tube? To insert something that isn’t even a medical instrument into the lung to drain air…”
He looked amazed.
“Is the person who performed this procedure a veteran doctor?”
“No. She is merely a young woman who has just turned twenty.”
“Someone that young performed such a drastic procedure?”
The usually quiet knight looked at the tube inserted into his companion’s chest and the bottle connected beneath it, expressing his amazement.
Kaylen, who was lying slightly reclined, carefully began speaking.
“…Your Grace Duke. Did she also learn your secret?”
“…”
The silence itself was an answer.
Kaylen spoke again.
“Will you kill her?”
The duke did not answer.
Everlain straightened his posture and stood before him.
“Your Grace. She may not be like the quack doctors who came before. Would you consider it?”
“Consider what?”
“Officially hiring her as your personal physician.”
The duke’s eyebrow twitched.
Kaylen, who had been listening to his companion, added his own opinion.
“I think the same. Of course, I understand why Your Grace distrusts doctors, but…”
He hesitated briefly.
“If it is her, she may be able to fulfill Your Grace’s long-standing wish.”
The duke looked down at his hand once more.
Even now, the voice of that insolent young woman echoed loudly in his ears.
“Why are you moving so slowly? Move, quickly!!”
Blasion unknowingly let out a small laugh.
His two subordinates exchanged subtle glances.
—Did you see that?
—Yes, I did.
—After living for so long, he’s finally gone insa—
“…Everlain. What are William and Ailey doing now?”
Everlain’s expression visibly darkened.
“Their condition has worsened since the last time you saw them.”
“Good.”
Blasion stood up.
Kaylen and Everlain could easily guess what he intended to do next.
When Lionel opened her eyes, the sun was already high in the sky.
When she stepped outside, a maid guided her to the reception room.
There, she saw the duke sitting on the sofa.
In front of him were beef jerky and orange juice.
“…Does this estate have any menu items besides beef jerky?”
The duke answered indifferently.
“As long as food fills your hunger, it is sufficient.”
“Ah, yes…”
So that was why the ridiculously good employee benefits didn’t include anything related to meals.
Her employer had simply lost his sense of taste.
Lionel missed the card her professor used to occasionally throw at her and tell her to buy herself a meal.
She also remembered the delivery app that had been her only joy during dangdangdang—working three consecutive night shifts.
‘Eating is such an enjoyable and important thing. Is this what happens when someone lives too long?’
While chewing the beef jerky with dissatisfaction written all over her face, the duke suddenly spoke.
“I will give you one more chance.”
Gulp.
Lionel quickly swallowed the jerky.
The duke continued explaining without paying attention to her reaction.
“There is a patient you will examine. He has worked as a coachman at this estate for ten years, and although he has been seen by doctors, none of them have been able to treat him.”
“What is the coachman’s name?”
“William.”
“Ah…”
She had thought the setting seemed familiar.
It was a name that appeared in the original story.
William Rexter.
He was like a father figure to the heroine, someone who sincerely cared for her and took good care of her after she came to this estate.
Thanks to him, the heroine adapted quickly to the mansion and was able to close the distance with the male protagonist more easily.
‘It seems the original story hasn’t started yet… Then I need to properly treat Mr. William so that the future heroine won’t have trouble, right?’
After thinking that far, Lionel spoke first.
“All right. Please let me meet the patient first. I’ll examine him.”
“Doctor Frencia. Do you understand the seriousness of the current situation?”
The duke narrowed his eyes and looked at Lionel.
A cold aura radiated from his sculpted face.
“Do you not understand what I meant by ‘chance’?”
“Of course I understand. Didn’t you mean that you would kill me if I failed to treat Mr. William?”
The calm answer left Blasion speechless.
Lionel shrugged and continued.
“Well, I don’t want to die either…”
She smiled faintly.
“And I’m sure I can treat him. So please let me meet the patient first.”
Her confidence was not empty boasting.
‘There’s no way an important supporting character would die before the original story even begins, right? Surely some genius doctor appeared somewhere, treated him, and helped him recover so he could meet the heroine.’
That was right.
Lionel trusted the power of the original story more than herself.
Therefore, William, whose role was to become the bridge between the heroine and the male protagonist, would not die.
Perhaps that genius doctor could even be herself.
Maybe this was actually the role of the original Lionel Frencia.
“So promise me this, Duke. If I successfully treat Mr. William, you will officially hire me as your personal physician. Of course, my salary will be four times the market rate.”
A “ha” sound escaped from the duke’s mouth.
Whether it was a laugh or a sigh was impossible to tell.
But one thing was certain.
He was not going to kill Lionel right now.
“Follow me.”
As ordered, Lionel followed behind the duke.
After passing through the long and luxurious hallway, Blasion exited the building entirely and headed toward a separate annex attached to the garden.
When they reached around the center of the garden—
Suddenly, the door burst open, and a red-haired girl rushed out.
“Duke! Hello! But that older sister…”
The duke gave the girl a small glance before explaining to Lionel.
“She is William’s daughter. Her name is Ailey. She is nine years old.”
‘He had a daughter? That was never mentioned in the original story.’
While Lionel was confused, Ailey noticed her bag and shouted.
“Are you a doctor?”
“Ah, yes. Hello, Ailey. My name is Lionel. Could you guide me to your father?”
Ailey immediately hugged Lionel’s arm tightly.
Her pink cheeks and curly red hair were adorable.
“Doctor. But can men get pregnant?”
“Huh?”
“Daddy’s stomach keeps getting bigger. I thought a baby was going to come out, but he says there isn’t one. And his face is black.”
Black skin.
A stomach swollen like a balloon.
As the innocent child described her father’s symptoms, Lionel felt an ominous feeling.
‘Ah… I have a bad feeling about this…’
With that thought, Lionel entered the room.
“Daddy!! A new doctor came! But she’s a sister! And she’s really pretty!”
At Ailey’s words, William slowly turned his head from the bed.
The first things Lionel saw were his completely blackened face and yellow eyes.
Then she saw his swollen stomach.
The moment she saw it, Lionel stopped in place.
‘Ah…’
Scenes she had seen countless times in the gastroenterology department flashed through her mind.
Patients with blackened faces and swollen stomachs like pregnant women, walking around like zombies while gasping for breath.
William’s current condition was exactly the same as those patients.
Lionel felt her face grow hot.
She was embarrassed by the version of herself from five minutes ago who had called herself a genius doctor and acted so confidently.
“…Ailey. Could you go inside for a moment? I need to speak with the duke first. I’ll come in after.”
“Yes, Doctor! I’ll be waiting!”
Fortunately, Ailey did not ask any questions and went back inside.
After quietly closing the door, Lionel stood facing the duke.
She took a short breath and raised her head.
“I’m sorry, Duke.”
What had she been so confident about?
The moment someone with memories of a past life became Duke Karseido’s physician, the original story had already begun changing.
With that self-mocking thought, Lionel continued in a calm voice.
“I…”
“I cannot save Mr. William.”
