First Surgery (1)
Morning at the Moonlight Palace. Asella began her day with her usual routine. Lately, things had been relatively calm. Calm, that was, even if she was still swamped as the heir apparent, with barely a moment to breathe.
The biggest relief came from the downfall of the Earth Palace, now exiled after Georg's banishment. Camilla was effectively under house arrest by imperial decree, unable to set foot outside. With direct lines established to the nobles and an alliance with the Wood Palace, the Moonlight Palace was steadily growing stronger. Asella should have felt more at ease than ever.
But she didn't.
"U-um, y-your Highnessss. I'll t-take your b-blood pressure nowww."
Seeing Chloe tremble every time she laid eyes on her made Asella sigh.
"You again today?"
"Y-yes! S-sorry! So sorry! For s-someone like me to show up!"
Morning and evening checkups had increasingly fallen to Chloe, and it had been a full week now. The fact grated on Asella in a strangely irritating way.
"What’s the young master up to these days?"
"Eep! R-refugee camp... v-volunteering."
"Self-inflicted headache."
If her personal physician was heading out for external work, it was bound to stir issues. Not that it was bad—Asella's name and the Moonlight Palace's prestige would only rise. Still...
Shouldn't he prioritize me? He's my personal physician.
When was the last time she'd had a private chat with Ras? ...The social party, maybe? She tried to shove the mishap in his room the next day out of her mind. Ever since, talking to him felt... awkward. What if he got the wrong idea? Sure, she'd barged into his room uninvited, but she hadn't expected this.
Should I have pretended to be asleep?
He'd groped her face willy-nilly. Called her name. Hey, Asella.Daring to use her name like that. With his voice all husky from just waking up, that usual light tone gone...
...They were engaged. Did he plan to keep calling her that after marriage?
What am I even thinking? Too soon!
It was a political betrothal. A business deal with House Gotberg had arisen, just as planned from the start.
Asella shook her head furiously. What irked her more was Ras showing zero reaction to that night.
I told him to act like a fiancé.
This man wouldn't do anything right unless you spelled it out. Asella pressed her lips tight without realizing.
Idiot. Moron.
At the ball, he'd sworn he'd lay down his life for her. Yet days passed without showing his face. Ridiculous.
...Well, he had offered it a few times. Her wrist, caught by Chloe. Her fingers brushed Chloe's arm absentmindedly, skimming skin once roughened by overwork.
"Eek! Y-your Highness?!"
"...It's smoother."
Asella murmured without thinking what it meant. Yeah, that wouldn't happen again. That night, the doll hadn't been enough... she just needed something bigger.
Tell Ras to come check on her or not, whatever.
"Gyaak! Gyaak!"
She pinched her own hand without noticing, making Chloe yelp, but Asella didn't hear.
After the morning exam, Chloe cross-checked the chart numbers and nodded.
"Blood pressure's a bit high... but per the young master's chart, you're fine to be active."
"What’s he doing today?"
"Uh, something important. At the Imperial Medical Office."
"Important. Of course."
"It is really important! There's a patient. I might even assist in the surgery."
"Surgery?"
Asella perked up at the unfamiliar term.
"Got the payment for the dead sa-ryong."
Tanya set the heavy money pouch on the table with a thunk.
"That was quick. Good work."
"Rare materials drew a crowd. Kept the heartstone separate, as instructed."
The sa-ryong's heartstone was a precious item. Might need it for Asella's surgery later, so they held onto it.
"Okay. Stash the gold as slush fund."
"Slush fund?"
"Yeah. You gonna go tattle to Asella all scared-like?"
"A swordmaster guard never leaks their lord's secrets, no matter what. What we see or hear on duty never happened."
"I like that."
Guards spilling private lordly gossip was the ultimate taboo. Instant dismissal if caught. Why nobles could chat freely around knights.
"Slush fund already? You're thorough."
"Already? Always needed. Always."
There'd be times to move without Asella noticing. I clapped to liven things up.
"Money talk done. Check surgery prep. All materials as discussed?"
"Nothing missing from the list."
Tanya checked office supplies against her papers.
"Mithril scalpels—mes, you called 'em. Twelve sizes. Surgery bed. Green gowns. Five bottles of your alcohol disinfectant. And..."
As checks wrapped, silent Hugo spoke up.
"Sir, even roughly, this is costly. You sure it's okay?"
"Psh, sa-ryong corpse paid dividends. Plenty of change left. No worries."
"...That eases my mind."
Hugo clasped hands in prayer.
"I-I'm b-back, s-sirrr."
Chloe returned from Asella's checkup. I'd been drilling her on surgery assisting. Prep was as ready as it could be.
"All here. Briefing time."
Chloe drew curtains, projecting X-ray via crystal orb.
"Patient: 4-year-old girl. Peritonsillar abscess. Week of penicillin, now needs incision and drainage. We'll excise the abscess and do local cuts for internal debris."
Chloe double-checked the chart she'd reviewed endlessly.
"Not tough. You've got this, no sweat. I solo-lead, you assist."
"Y-yes!"
"Inner OR's sterilized after days of work. Warned you: no entry during surgery. Tanya, cover emergencies."
"Leave it to me."
"And me?"
Hugo asked; I smirked lightly.
"Pray for Eri. Gods might hear from up top."
Meant to ease tension, but Hugo thumped his chest resolute.
"Got it. In your hands, sir."
"Count on it."
Prep wrapped quick. Chloe and I suited up in the sterile room between office and OR. Hugo brought Eri from next door, soothing her fears. Chloe changed her clothes, into the OR.
Local would've sufficed for adults, but kids thrash—full general anesthesia standard. Prepped stronger numbing agent than analgesics.
Dosage precise.
First general for me; bit tense. Fitted breathing mask linked to meds, stroked her hair.
"Eri, sleep now, wake up—all better."
"Really?"
"Yep. Trust your doc."
"Okay."
Green-gowned, masked—I must've looked scary, but she obeyed sweetly.
"Count with me. One, twooo, threeee."
"Yesss, doc... "
Eri slipped under. Checked status.
[Status: Anesthetized (92%)]
[Injury: Chronic Tonsillitis]
[Injury: Peritonsillar Abscess]
[Injury: Foreign Body Inflammation]
[Location: Throat]
Anesthesia good. Just don't exceed 100.
Chloe set up: fixed Eri's head to table. Mouth guard to prevent airway blockage.
I lowered glasses. Double lenses for magnification. Click. Chloe shone light.
"Hoo."
Deep breath. Simple surgery. Not my specialty, but doable. No—must do.
Chloe handed syringe. ...No tremor. Calms me instantly.
Prelims first. Poked abscess meticulously. Drained pus, shrank it. Repeated till enough, passed syringe to Chloe.
She got sequence, handed mes. Custom mithril—light, sharp, rustproof.
Forceps left. Fingertips fused with tools. Fingers are the mes.
Focused cut site. Blade tip careful.
Surgery (Basic) C
"Surgery starts."
—Slice. Cold edge pierced soft flesh.