Clink!
I grabbed both ends of the thin suture thread with forceps and tweezers.
It was suture made by extracting collagen from pig skin and using alchemy to synthesize it as closely as possible to human components.
My fingertips moved millimetrically, assessing where to suture.
The area around the straight, recessed navel was smooth due to the lack of excess fat.
Having barely seen sunlight, the pure white skin looked like rice paper, and the deep red color from the incision was pitiful.
Below that belly button, 2 centimeters horizontally, and 1 centimeter down from the center.
I pierced the suture needle into the area I had cut just 10 minutes ago.
—”Acella, Acella…!”
Camilla’s soul, bound to Hugo, struggled to reach Acella. But she had already lost control, and her body was weak.
The amulet was blocking the effect of the soul fusion curse.
Acella was freed from Camilla’s influence.
Now only Haeju remained.
“Hmmm…!”
Hugo clicked, aligning the Haeju spell and unleashed the first incantation. Then, whack! The cursed black shell of Camilla’s evil spirit peeled away.
In the evil spirit’s previously pure white eyes, pupils returned.
“Is the second one a multi-formation method?”
A complex spell formation made through several layers, befitting a high-grade spell. Hugo recalculated the spell while continuing with Haeju.
At the same time, I finished suturing the first hole. With a snip, the suture thread was cut cleanly.
The thread would later melt into the skin without resistance when I cast a healing spell.
“Next.”
I filled the largest hole. The remaining ones were much smaller, about 1 centimeter in radius.
Three beneath the left breast. This was the hole I was working on.
However, the middle one was torn a bit more. It was the spot where the cylinder was hastily pulled out. The nurse was hastily cauterizing it.
I began suturing that hole, carefully stitching at regular intervals, paying attention to the torn edges.
—”Nooooooo!!”
Camilla’s spirit was weaker, yet she screamed even louder.
Whack! Suddenly, the instruments rattled with vibrations.
“Whoo.”
My hands almost shook, but I firmly held on and took a moment to breathe.
I continued working.
The second, then the third hole were completed.
While sealing the last hole, I asked, “Hugo, what about Haeju?”
“We’ve broken through the 4-layer spell formation. There are two left.”
Black debris fell from above.
Camilla’s soul was oxidized, and her body was gradually disappearing.
—”Acella, Acella…”
Flap! The force created by Camilla flapped the cloth covering Acella’s face, revealing it.
With a respirator, her eyes were gently closed, looking peaceful.
Camilla, with barely part of her upper body and head remaining, desperately approached Acella bit by bit.
“I won’t let you.”
Hugo infused divine power to the limit to stop Camilla. The Haeju formation was almost fully disassembled, and all the pieces floated in mid-air.
—”Acella…”
Although her arms had already vanished into thin air, Camilla gazed at Acella as if to caress her cheek.
In the midst of this.
Did she mumble in her sleep?
“…Mom.”
In a small voice, half-breathing, Acella whispered, unheard by anyone else. Naturally, none of the team were focused enough to catch it. I was too absorbed in suturing to realize I might have misheard.
Yet, it seemed Camilla was satisfied, even if it was just an auditory hallucination.
—”Ah…”
After a long defiance, she relinquished her body to divine power and laid what was left of herself down gently.
“Breakthrough complete. Haeju is finished.”
“Suturing complete. I’m moving into health recovery.”
The nurse handed me my notebook. It was the ancient text that Chloe treasured.
Chloe’s gestures were filled with strength as she accepted the ancient text. It looked like she was suffused with confidence after getting over the big hurdle.
Looking around, the team members seemed to be in a similar situation. Some sighed in relief, some shook their heads, and some rested their foreheads against the wall.
I could completely resonate with their feelings, so I chimed in.
“It’s really so tough.”
I didn’t expect a response, but everyone must have felt the same.
“Almighty Goddess, I sincerely ask you to look down upon us.”
I recited a prayer.
As divine power erupted, a healing spell was cast.
Now that the curse had been lifted, could Acella also benefit from the healing spell?
Responding to the prayer, her body was enveloped in white light.
The threads from the wounds I had painstakingly sutured melted into her skin, smoothening the healing process.
“Teacher.”
Chloe looked up and gazed at the ceiling.
Camilla’s soul was watching us, reflecting divine power and shimmering.
No, more accurately, it felt like she was watching me and Acella.
Well, I couldn’t precisely confirm her gaze.
Despite the chaos caused, Camilla wore a satisfied smile and vanished.
*
The long-dreaded surgery for Acella was successfully concluded.
But regrettably, my work wasn’t over.
The attending physician for the royal family must be on call when their lord is in a coma or severely injured, foregoing sleep and rest to stay by their side.
And right now, it was that time.
When someone faints, you can just say they were sleeping, but now there are records of anesthesia, so there’s no escape.
I heard Ambrosia stayed up for three days straight when she operated on the emperor.
Whether they are doctors or healers, sleep-deprived jobs are the norm.
Thus, I found myself keeping vigil beside Acella until her anesthesia wore off, having moved her to a private room.
After months of exploration abroad and dealing with a major operation, all I wanted was a good rest.
Whether it was because she understood my feelings or just by chance, Acella lay there sleeping soundly.
The IV in her arm was delivering fluids alongside pain relief. Although I had cast a healing spell, it wasn’t top-tier. I only cast it enough to ensure health recovery.
If the gall bladder I’d surgically removed was recognized as an injury and tried to regenerate the entire organ, it would pose quite a headache.
If only healing spells could be cast with pinpoint accuracy, it would be much more convenient.
Lost in thought, I opened my eyes when I sensed the nurse changing the IV. It seemed I had briefly dozed off.
Stretching and yawning, I heard a snicker nearby.
“Pfft.”
“Oh, you woke up?”
“Just now. Prince, you sure slept well during work hours.”
It was Acella’s voice, one I hadn’t heard in a while.
It seemed less sharp than I remembered.
It felt a bit more docile.
“Aw, what’s the big deal about just a little shut-eye?”
“Two hours.”
“You watched me for two whole hours?”
“Yup. And I’m in pain.”
“Of course it hurts. But the surgery went well. The gall bladder was safely removed, and the curse has been lifted. Those occasional pains shouldn’t trouble you anymore, Your Highness.”
“I see.”
Acella’s reaction was rather nonchalant regarding the surgical results.
“You were quite fortunate. Sometimes, tissue can crumble inside. If that happens, you could still have a hose stuck in your belly right now.”
“I feel like I just saw my mother.”
Acella said that.
Should I tell her the truth? I hesitated for a moment.
But seeing me in that state, Acella seemed to brighten up and smiled widely.
“Hehe.”
“What’s up?”
“I think I’m beginning to understand your thoughts a little.”
That was a bit unsettling.
“If it brings you joy, then that’s good.”
“How do you think I feel?”
Well, I wonder.
The fact that I asked that made it sound like a different feeling might be hidden within.
“Take a guess.”
You haven’t eaten in over 30 hours, gone through surgery, and should be drained of energy, yet here was Acella, seeming eager to bother me with a seductive gaze.
“Um… Are you angry?”
“Wrong.”
“Very angry?”
“I barely have the energy for that.”
Acella snickered and closed her eyes momentarily to rest.
It wasn’t long before her golden eyes turned back toward my face.
Then, in a matter-of-fact tone, she said.
“I’m happy.”
A brief silence.
Slowly, Acella, who had been twitching her lips, added:
“…That you came back.”
I slowly nodded.
“I know.”
“Then why act like this?”
“Because it wouldn’t be fun if I got it right away.”
“What is it?”
Acella attempted to stifle a chuckle, but the muscles in her face relaxed. She must have been in pain. She would need several days of rest.
“You really did fix me, huh.”
Acella, perhaps in disbelief, gently rubbed her belly.
Her skin had all but healed, and only faint surgical scars remained, barely noticeable unless looked at closely. With continual use of healing spells, they would disappear in just a few days.
“Lars.”
“Yes?”
Acella turned her head away from me.
Even so, in the narrow bed, her movements were limited, making her red-tinted ears vividly visible to me.
In a whisper-like voice, she murmured:
“…Thank you.”
In the time we hadn’t seen each other, Acella had become somewhat more honest. Was there a special trigger?
“Not at all. I am just—”
“Your attending physician, right?”
Somehow, I felt I could see Acella’s expression as she turned her head away.
I now understood the words she wanted to hear.
“Well, I’m also your betrothed.”
Seemingly meaning it, Acella shivered slightly, her shoulders quivering before she settled back comfortably.
Did she fall asleep? I thought for a moment, but she then placed her arm over her forehead and sighed deeply, carrying some concern.
“You healed me, but now I have nothing to give you. I boldly declared I would become an emperor.”
Acella appeared somewhat gloomy.
Come to think of it, she didn’t know the outcome of the competition.
“You’re talking about the succession rights, right?”
“Yeah.”
Acella bit her lip.
“I wanted to give you a splendid victory when you returned. It might be pointless to say this now… No, why am I rambling? Forget what I just said.”
Acella’s challenge to Heike was also for me.
This strangely absurd causal relationship is…
Is that perhaps how it is?
Acella looked uneasy, as if her vulnerability was exposed. A lord who displays weakness loses the trust of their subjects.
In a somewhat pleading tone, Acella spoke urgently.
“But we still have the Moonlight Palace. I might not be able to handle national affairs, but I can make you a key player in the imperial family. So just wait a little longer…”
“Your Highness’s succession rights still remain.”
When I cut in, Acella frowned.
“…What do you mean?”
I relayed what I heard from the head maid.
The news that Heike had called the competition a draw.
Acella clicked her tongue in disbelief and closed her eyes.
“That scheming witch, just taking the good roles for herself. I’ve completely fallen for it.”
Upon opening her eyes, Acella was already consumed by thoughts of the imperial family. Stress is a no-go for a patient.
I offered her some advice.
“First, clear your mind of state affairs and focus on recovery. That’s much more important.”
“Alright. After all, the New Year is in ten days. His Majesty has designated the last week of this year as a festival period. I wasn’t planning to move much this year anyway.”
“A festival, huh? That sounds like an event.”
In other words, Christmas is just three days away.
They don’t celebrate Christmas in this world, but it’s a special day at the Moonlight Palace.
It’s Acella’s birthday.
“Prince.”
“Yes?”
“Shall we go watch the festival together after I’m discharged?”
“That sounds good.”
“We agreed it would just be the two of us.”
“Oh, right. It’ll be pretty crowded, so I’m a bit worried.”
“Everyone will be busy enjoying themselves; who would pay any attention to us? Let’s go.”
“Of course, your lordship needs your attending physician by your side.”
Acella seemed pleased by my response.
“Oh, and one more thing.”
“What is it?”
Acella blinked her eyes at me.
“What kind of bread do you like for sandwiches?”
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