I stepped out of the Inner Palace and welcomed the night at the Moonlight Palace.
Since I had been fainting all evening, I entrusted Acella’s evening check-up to Chloe.
“My medical rank went up to B.”
Thanks to accumulating surgery experience, my skill rank increased.
“There are two skills I can acquire.”
A new skill popped up in the [Emergency Treatment] tree.
It was [Plastic Surgery].
There might be high demand for it, but it’s not something I need right away.
In the diagnosis category, I could acquire [CT Scan], but it wouldn’t be as efficient as an MRI.
I had already used MRI to take images of Acella’s whole body and various curses, as well as demons with buffs and debuffs, and handed the data to Hugo.
The usage of the skill was so bizarre that Acella looked horrified while shooting it.
“I guess it’s time to start leveling up the prescription skills.”
If I mastered the next skill, [Prescription Writing], the next skill tree would open up.
Something useful might come out of it.
“Alright, let’s check it out.”
I prioritized acquiring [Prescription Writing].
[Prescription Writing C: Document the patient’s symptoms. Makes it easier for the patient to understand the prescription.]
It’s not a bad skill since I can leave a record of my medical concepts.
Using this, I can somewhat persuade people who lack basic medical knowledge.
Once I finished acquiring it, the next skill name appeared.
“[Additional Opinion].”
Also known as a second opinion. It’s the act of getting the same diagnosis from another doctor since a single examination might lead to an incorrect diagnosis.
[Additional Opinion C: Validates the suitability of the prescription considering the patient’s family medical history and genetics.]
Interesting.
It means it checks for elements I might have overlooked in the prescription.
“Doing a second opinion myself is kinda funny though.”
It might be effective for Acella.
She inherits the excellent magical power of the witch Camilla, and with her innate talent, she effectively has a special constitution.
A typical patient who is tricky to diagnose is someone with situs inversus.
Normally, the heart is positioned on the left, but a person with situs inversus has their insides mirrored, so the heart is on the right.
If this isn’t recognized and an incision is made for heart surgery, a disastrous emergency requiring urgent response could occur.
Acella is of that nature too, and requires a special prescription due to her unique constitution.
“Okay, I’ll acquire it.”
If I could judge whether my future prescriptions for Acella are correct, that would be perfect.
Clearing the skill window, I noticed the slowly decreasing number in my health.
―――――――――――
Strength: 18
Health: 20/22
Magic: 1
Mana: 36
Divine Power: 38
Faith: 100
―――――――――――
“The decrease due to the debuff won’t recover with regular healing spells.”
Blood-tinged coughs were worsening, leading to anemia. A debuff affecting the stomach was evident.
The price of talent cannot be explained by modern pathology, just like Acella’s curse.
I’ll need to borrow the power of items in this world, meaning the medications or artifacts I create.
Just then, the door swung open with a click.
Since there was only one person who would enter without knocking, I dismissed the status window and greeted her.
“Royal Princess.”
“Prince.”
Acella, wearing fluffy slippers, stood in front of me with her arms crossed.
“Aren’t you going to explain today’s situation?”
“Oh, it’s nothing serious. It seems I’ve lost a bit of stamina after some major surgeries and the engagement recently.”
Did her trust in the attending physician diminish? Acella frowned slightly at my response.
She seemed to show some concern, but it’s not like Acella would worry about my well-being…
Well, I guess it could happen.
I would appreciate her concern.
“Is that all?”
Hearing her sharp tone made me think I might’ve misjudged.
“Prince, you’re not afflicted by a plague, are you?”
“A plague all of a sudden? No way.”
I was taken aback by the abrupt word throw.
Acella knows about the principles of contagion from what I told her. Did she mention the plague to be cautious, thinking I might harm the Moonlight Palace?
I had indeed released a plague upon the Empire before, so what was she so worried about?
“If it really were a plague, I will manage first so that others aren’t infected, so don’t worry.”
“What? No, that’s not what I meant.”
“And in that case, Royal Princess, you can’t come into contact with me without wearing a mask either.”
“I said that’s not what I meant! I’ll handle things myself!”
Acella shot back like a dart. It seems I lost her trust because of how I behaved today.
“I’m not sick. That’s for sure.”
Debuffs have a slightly different concept to be just called an illness.
“…Alright, I get it. You know what you’re talking about. I’ll trust you.”
“Of course.”
I casually smiled and decided to talk about an important issue with Acella.
“I heard there’s a challenge coming from the Sun Palace.”
“That’s right. I was actually going to discuss that.”
“Great! It’s a strategic mock battle, right? We have enough troops now to bring our advantageous formations. I think it’s a chance to elevate the status of the Moonlight Palace.”
“True. I’ve accepted the challenge.”
“Oh really? What are the conditions? If you let me know, I’ll research the strategy…”
“Prince.”
Acella cut me off, leaning in close to the bed where I was seated.
Her golden eyes were blazing fiercely.
“It’s an order. You are out of this match.”
“Excuse me?”
And then she made a rather unexpected remark.
*
An unfamiliar sense of anxiety and restlessness enveloped Acella.
She barely suppressed the impulse to bite her nails in front of Lars.
“It’s an order. You are out of this match.”
At Acella’s firm command, Lars stared blankly, blinking.
“What do you mean out?”
“I mean it literally. I will oversee the match from start to finish.”
Lars calmly tried to persuade Acella.
“Royal Princess, I sincerely apologize for the scene I showed today. I won’t faint like that unexpectedly again.”
Lars strongly asserted his opinion, but Acella showed no signs of bending.
“I don’t trust you. Stay away from the Inner Palace for now and work only at the Moonlight Palace.”
“What? No way, this is absurd.”
For Lars, it felt like a sudden bolt from the blue.
There was so much to be done in the Inner Palace right now.
Even if I hand over routine patient care to the healers in my employ, whether it’s writing medical books for Chloe or conducting curse research with Hugo, they can’t proceed without me.
I also need to inspect the medications set to be shipped, and when the princess or Lady Alberich get discharged, I need to ensure everything is confirmed.
Most importantly, he had a purpose to defeat Gunter in this match.
If he fails to obtain Gunter’s artifact, his life would be in jeopardy.
He had planned to adjust the match’s details to secure the brooch, and now it all seems in vain.
“Royal Princess, please reconsider. My strategy was effective when we quelled the barbarian tribes.”
“That’s that, but my decision is final. No more debate.”
“No.”
Lars felt wronged, but to Acella, it was a natural measure.
‘Lars must not get involved with that healer.’
Acella had nearly lost him once before.
She didn’t want to recall the overwhelming despair and sense of loss that flooded her back then.
Just half a day ago, she had witnessed it firsthand.
‘Lars was dead.’
What she had seen with her clairvoyance may not have been real, but it could easily turn into reality.
The image of him dying a horrible death still lingered in her mind.
Seeing Lars collapse in reality now raised a chilling sense of fear that it might happen for real.
Anxiety that if she didn’t act now, she would lose him made her limbs feel hot and her mind dizzy.
‘If Lars crumbles and falls, it will mark the downfall of our family.’
Acella intended to prevent Lars from getting entangled with Livio, who could be the catalyst for that downfall.
Given Lars’s personality, he would naturally want to develop a strategy and participate directly in the mock battle.
That would inevitably lead him to face Livio.
Even if the Emperor fell victim to treachery, she wouldn’t send Lars to heal him.
“Royal Princess, at least could you explain the reason?”
Lars asked earnestly.
‘Reason, reason.’
— I know the future.
Who would believe such words?
Especially a magician revealing every detail of their mastery to others?
Her mother, Camilla, had kept the principles and processes of her unique clone magic a strict secret.
Seymour was the same. A sage skilled in various magics, no one knew the direction in which his main research lay.
For a magician, the knowledge of their mastery was their greatest asset and everything they possessed.
‘Clairvoyance is something I cannot speak of.’
Acella said decisively to Lars.
“Prince, this isn’t something you can understand. Stay away from the Sun Palace.”
Acella believed it was important to bring Livio down just as much as Gunter in this mock battle.
If the faction weakens, that man won’t be able to draw Lars into his orbit.
She was prepared to crush them thoroughly.
And all of this was something she could not explain to Lars.
“Royal Princess, if you issue unreasonable orders without persuasion, I cannot accept it.”
“Unreasonable? Why does it need to be understandable? It’s a command from me, the Royal Princess.”
“…That may be true, but.”
Maintaining her strong stance, Lars’s momentum faltered.
Yeah, she should have done this from the start.
By letting him roam free, he ends up buzzing around and stirring up trouble.
Acella believed so, but Lars made one last proposition.
“I will obey your command. However, please let me go to the Inner Palace. Without me, the faction won’t function.”
“I said stay here without going to the Inner Palace!”
Acella shouted, roughly pushing Lars’s shoulder with both hands.
Why can’t this man understand that she did this for his sake?
“Where do you think you’re going anyway?!”
Lars lost his balance under Acella’s weight and fell onto the bed.
Acella pressed his shoulders and locked eyes with him.
…His eyes were filled with discontent towards her.
Feeling that gaze made her heart ache, but she had to keep pushing through.
Now his eyes sparkled with life and determination.
But Acella couldn’t forget the image of his face growing darker, flushed with the sickness nearing death.
On the bed, the breaths of the two mingled.
Acella stared intently at Lars for quite some time.
Lars met her gaze just as intensely.
At some point, Acella realized their positions felt awkward.
Acella’s calf brushed against Lars’s inner thigh.
Taking him down, Acella resembled a leopard ready to feast on prey.
“…Ugh.”
Perhaps due to embarrassment, Acella’s anger began to ebb.
After a lengthy staring contest, she was the one to look away first and loosened her arm strength.
When this man gets involved, I can no longer think rationally as I do now.
“…You can go to the Inner Palace. But only work in the office.”
“Thank you for your generous compassion.”
Lars spoke in a respectful tone, as if following etiquette to the highest degree.
Feeling irritated and stifled by his formal attitude, Acella left him behind and dashed out of the room.
With hurried steps, she returned to her own chamber.
‘I can resolve this.’
Throwing herself onto the bed, Acella took a deep breath, trying to devise a strategy to defeat Gunter.
“…Ugh.”
But her body was not cooperating with her.
An increasingly sharp pain in her abdomen accompanied whispers echoing in her ears.
—I’m not bad.
—I’m not at fault here.
—The one at fault is this world that brings pain.
“…Shut up.”
Acella cast a sidelong glance at the ring on her ring finger.
Just like that, she clenched her fist tightly and curled up under the blanket like a fetus.
The abdomen wrapped in her arms throbbed, poking at her like a tease.
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