“Puhah.”
I stepped out into the waiting room, took off my mask, and took a deep breath.
Phew, it’s tough to be back in surgery after a long time, really tough.
And to top it off, the patient is an emperor?
I’m probably the only doctor who’s operated on two generations of emperors. Can we stop already?
“Thank you for your hard work!”
Chloe seemed to unwind, swaying like she used to as she grabbed my hand and kept nodding her head.
Heike’s surgery was a success. From here on, health recovery will be handled by the authority.
“U-uh, you worked hard too, Teacher. An unexpected situation popped up all of a sudden…”
“Hehe, oh, it’s nothing. Thanks to Aunt Chloe, it all went well.”
Nightingale made a peace sign for Chloe.
Thanks to that, we were able to finish the surgery on time.
“Um, I feel like we’re meeting for the first time, but may I ask your name…?”
“Oh, I’m Nightingale Gothberg.”
“Gothberg…?”
Realizing she accidentally revealed her last name, Nightingale covered her mouth.
Hmm, yes. Quite mysterious indeed.
“She’s my relative. The only daughter of our family’s lineage.”
“Wow, I see! No wonder, being a relative….”
Nightingale scratched her cheek shyly.
Certainly, Nightingale wasn’t a novice as a doctor. She was at least good enough to take on a nurse’s role.
As we entered the washroom, washing our hands, I said to her,
“Nice hands.”
“R-really?”
“Yes. Fast and accurate. I could tell whose daughter you are right away.”
“…Hehe.”
“Here, you’ve got something on you.”
I wiped the foreign substance off Nightingale’s nose. She was shivering as if she was about to sneeze.
“Do you need to blow your nose?”
“Kuh-uhm.”
Ah, this is really funny.
It feels like I’m dealing with a five-year-old, which is amusing.
But the skills Nightingale showed earlier were on par with our surgical team’s level.
As soon as she grabbed the scalpel, her gaze changed. Do I look like that when I’m operating?
“Were you working as a doctor?”
“Ah, no… I told you. I was cooped up in my room.”
But that dexterity didn’t look like someone who had been practicing for just a few years.
Is this talent?
“I did feel a sense of having held a scalpel after a long time. Your skills are good, so you don’t need to be too nervous.”
“Really? Can I stand at the operating table?”
“Of course. Whose daughter are you?”
I was sure of it after seeing earlier. Nightingale definitely inherited my blood.
Nightingale blushed, smiling bashfully.
“Um, Dad.”
“Yeah?”
“I want to learn more…”
“About medicine?”
“Yeah.”
Was there some sort of restriction until now?
Talent is one thing, but it seemed Nightingale had quite the passion for medicine.
“A skilled doctor is always welcome. Let’s go to the hospital together starting tomorrow.”
“Really? Eheh… I’m so excited.”
Nightingale shrugged her shoulders slightly.
*
The mansion was aflame.
All around was chaos. Servants and knights ran around in panic, shouting.
Even that was drowned out by the roaring flames.
Nightingale slowly opened her eyes amidst the turmoil.
“Lars! Hey, Lars! Get a grip!”
Her mother, Acella Gothberg, was clutching her husband, crying out helplessly.
Lars lay collapsed, covered in blood.
A large wooden shard had pierced his chest.
It looked like it had skewered him like a kebab. The collapsed ceiling had stabbed him by sheer misfortune.
Chest injuries indicated crushed ribs, numbers eight and nine. If the major vein in his cardiovascular system had ruptured, he would lose his life within minutes.
“Uh, Mom, what is this…”
“I, I was worried! This foolish man again…!”
No matter how many elixirs promised immortality, he was still just a healthier-than-average person, not a superhuman.
If his heart fails, he dies. If he can’t breathe, he dies. It was the simplest of truths for living beings.
Suddenly, Acella turned sharply and shot a fierce look at Nightingale.
“Nightingale!!”
Whether it was an explosion or an attack by foes was a problem for later. Right now, saving Lars was the priority.
And she was the only one here with such medical skills.
From her mother’s gaze, filled with blame, Nightingale could hear thousands of words in an instant.
Mother and daughter. Aren’t they family?
They knew each other better than anyone else.
“It’s your fault.”
“At your age, not working at all.”
“I came to lecture you while you were holed up in your room.”
“Lars is always on your side.”
“If it weren’t for you, neither I nor Lars would’ve had to come here.”
“Then none of this would have happened.”
“If Lars dies, it’s your fault.”
“If Lars dies, it’s your fault!”
“Can’t you save him immediately?”
“Is my daughter even competent?”
“You can’t even use magic!”
Suddenly, her throat tightened, making it impossible to breathe.
Nightingale’s hands were trembling.
No matter how hard she tried to calm down, the tremors only intensified.
It was clear she wouldn’t be able to perform even first aid in this state.
No, she couldn’t even calmly assess the patient’s condition.
Even though he was her father.
Her father, whom she loved more than anyone else.
…Helplessly so.
“Lady! Please evacuate this way!”
Emergency rescue arrived quickly. Knights entered the room, battling the fire. The medics carried Lars away on a stretcher. Acella and Nightingale hurriedly followed closely.
Lars was immediately taken into the emergency surgical room. The ace surgeons of Gothberg Hospital all rushed to his side.
The ace surgeons of the circle all gathered around.
It was concluded that they could not remove the wooden shard. It was blocking Lars’s ruptured atrium, and removing it would cause immense bleeding, leading to certain death.
Of course, if they left it alone, he would slowly die. It was an impossible situation.
A capable person was needed.
A surgeon who could connect the heart’s bypass and had the divine suturing ability.
Naturally, the only such individual was Lars himself.
Or perhaps someone who had inherited his talent.
Lars had roughly ten hours left to live.
“Prepare the model. I’ll conduct an experiment to see if it’s possible.”
Albert, Lars and Acella’s second son, stepped forward. He was also Lars’s apprentice but was only fifteen. He was inexperienced due to his young age.
On the other hand, Nightingale was different.
Since she was three years old, she had been playing with scalpels.
She had the kind of hands that could perform suturing that required a gap of 3.3mm with the naked eye.
Having been involved in medicine, she was close to Lars.
Acella, who had hoped her eldest daughter would become a wizard like her, was disappointed due to Nightingale’s mana insensitivity.
Even the path of a doctor she had pursued was about to be abandoned before she became an adult.
“Nightingale.”
After a moment of calm, Acella called out to Nightingale.
“You’re hiding again. What’s going to change if you keep doing that?”
Acella’s gaze was colder than ever.
“Come with me.”
Acella took Nightingale to her workshop.
It was the most secretive depths of a wizard that she had never set foot in since birth.
“Clairvoyance is different. The act of recording humans multiple times on the time axis doesn’t distort causality. This has become clear. Indeed, altering the past does not affect the present. The changed past is observed from a future point.”
“E-what do you mean?”
“It’s something you wouldn’t understand, Nightingale Gothberg. You do understand that you’re the only one who can save Lars, right?”
“I, I can’t do it.”
Nightingale showed strong resistance.
It had been a while since she had given up the path of a doctor. If she were to fail Lars’s surgery, she would commit an unforgivable sin.
Acella approached her with a fierce gaze and lifted her chin with her finger.
“Do it.”
“I told you… I can’t!”
“You’re the only one who can.”
Nightingale bit her lip.
Regardless of her protests, Acella began to draw a magic circle.
“I’m not saying you have to do it right away.”
“What do you mean…?”
“I’ll give you time. During that time, learn everything that Lars needs.”
The circle was intricately connected. Gradually, the formulas were filled with a golden light.
“You can share who you are. Just save your words otherwise.”
“Eh? What do you mean…?”
“…I’ve never heard of that. Lars too. I’ve had my suspicions, though.”
“Ugh, uh-huh.”
Kiiing!
The magic circle began to spin violently. The dazzling light cast a shadow over Acella’s face.
Nightingale felt a wave of anxiety, as if she might never see her mother’s face again, and desperately asked, “Um, Mom! Are you…!”
That was the moment the magic was cast.
A massive shock hit her.
When she came to, she found herself thrown right in the middle of a golden rose garden.
“…Ugh.”
Nightingale slowly opened her eyes after tossing and turning.
She had collapsed into sleep after completing a major surgery with her father and returning to the former country. It felt like ages since she last held a tool.
She couldn’t remember, but her body reacted perfectly.
It was scary, but she summoned her courage.
If she got scared just being around the Emperor, there would be no way she could go back and operate on her father.
She didn’t know how much time she had.
So, she had to learn the skills to save Lars as quickly as possible.
As Nightingale was trying to get up, a soft touch stopped her forehead.
She wasn’t alone. Someone was sitting on the bed.
Amidst the darkness, golden eyes sparkled.
“Gasp, Mom?”
Acella nodded lightly.
An awkward silence fell.
“…Why, why?”
“Just because.”
Ah, she was just watching her sleep.
Nightingale glanced around and unconsciously repeated the last line she remembered thanks to her dream.
“Um, you know…?”
“Yeah. Go on.”
“Do you… believe in me?”
Suddenly, Acella pressed her face against Nightingale’s without warning.
Nightingale tensed up at her unexpected reaction.
“Nightingale Gothberg. Do you love Lars?”
“Dad? Uh… yeah. More than anyone in the world.”
Acella frowned, pouting her lips.
“Why not me?”
“Uh? Huh?”
Oh no, that was a slip of the tongue!
“Um, I mean, both….”
“Hm, you don’t love me in a romantic way?”
“Eh?”
Nightingale was taken aback by Acella’s sudden question.
She stroked the cheek of her daughter, who was the same age as her, and replied.
“As long as it’s not just that, then I’m fine.”
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