Chapter 481
Chapter 481
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Translator: Ebonarch
Chapter: 481
Chapter Title: Doctor Gam Deok-bae (17)
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Watching from the side, I could see that this girl named Marsha was quite the attractive woman. She was cute, fun, and honestly, tempting enough to make me wonder if I should make a move... Her small chest was a bit of a letdown, but... that's just how romance fantasy characters usually are. Serphin was the exceptional case, so there was some room for leniency. A flat chest was within acceptable limits.
However... now wasn't the time to indulge.
I didn't have the luxury to snap up a decent girl like her. I hadn't even met the female protagonist yet, so I couldn't afford to collect unnecessary women. So, as regrettable as it was, I'd have to pass this time. Swallowing my bitterness, I fulfilled my role as a doctor. What I needed to do now was be a good person. To that end, I began acting like an "intellectual man of action."
"I've heard that seasoned knights can fight for days without eating."
"Well, that's not wrong."
"It's based on the principle of burning mana to utilize accumulated calories in the body."
"Eh... close enough."
"In my opinion, Lady Marsha used the same method."
"......Ugh."
"See? That's it, isn't it?"
"I'm sorry..."
"Haa... Marsha, why don't you ever listen."
"A knight who's fully matured wouldn't collapse from malnutrition. But Lady Marsha, you're still growing, aren't you? Your body requires different calories, yet you pushed yourself recklessly... Of course you'd collapse."
"......"
"First, we need to start with simple porridge to replenish nutrients."
"You heard him? So eat your food and no more arguing."
"But Lady Serphin."
"Hm?"
"Lady Marsha's collapse is partly your responsibility too."
"Hah?"
"Aren't you Lady Marsha's superior?"
Blame-shifting to Serphin here was treading a dangerously thin line. A mere commoner lecturing an upper noble? Even as a doctor, saying "Marsha got hurt because of you" could get me beaten for insolence, and I wouldn't have a leg to stand on.
However... I was the meddlesome intellectual right now.
I had to speak the truth, even if it meant taking a beating, to build my image.
"This is a failure of oversight. Seeing her collapse like this means she must have gone at least a week without proper food... Not noticing that is a problem on your end too, Lady Serphin."
"......Hah, so this is my fault now?"
"I'm saying it's both your faults. Malnutrition, of all things. Her body must have been straining for days already. Cold sweats, pale face, trembling limbs—if you saw that and did nothing... that's on you, Lady Serphin."
"......"
"If she's a valued junior, you should have looked after her more. Trust and negligence are different."
"......Haa, is that so?"
"And... that doesn't mean Marsha did well either."
"Ugh..."
"Shouldn't a knight know how to protect their own body above all?"
"......"
"In the East, there's a saying: 'Cultivate the self, regulate the family, govern the state, pacify the world.'"
"Cul... cultivate what?"
"It means those who can protect their own body can protect their family, their nation, and ultimately the world. Think about it. How can someone who can't even protect themselves defend this country or His Majesty? Collapsing from malnutrition is disqualifying for a knight."
"...!"
"There's also a saying in the East: 'Excess is akin to deficiency.' Overdoing it is the same as falling short. I don't know why you pushed yourself so hard... but show some restraint. It's not too late to grow steadily. Lady Marsha, you're still young, aren't you?"
""......""
"...Ahem."
As I finished speaking, both of them fell abruptly silent. Serphin and Marsha alike wore thoughtful expressions. Was this the power of image? A plain commoner would have been thrown in prison for blasphemy... but getting punched by Sirius had paid off in my acting. No way I'd end up in a cell now.
"But... but, if I don't get stronger even a day sooner, I can't learn the Reinhardt Circle! This year is my last chance... I don't want to give up without trying!"
"Marsha, you!"
But... from what I could see, there was some backstory I didn't know.
"Lady Serphin!"
"Haa... we'll talk about that later. Not in front of others."
"......Understood."
The Reinhardt Circle... that one, right?
The mana cultivation method I'd heard about before coming here. A somewhat masochistic training technique that granted commensurate power in exchange for abandoning pregnancy... Now I understood the subtle tension between them. From her perspective, Serphin—who'd given up being a woman—might not want to teach it. Guessing the situation, I stayed quiet, and she spoke to me with a slightly weary expression.
"Thank you."
"......Huh?"
"Maybe... I was unconsciously neglecting her. I shouldn't have let it slide, like you said... Sigh, time to have a proper talk."
"......That's a good idea."
"Lady Serphin..."
"So, Marsha. Recover your strength first."
"Yes!"
Hmm, looks like it resolved amicably? Honestly, I expected a few slaps... but Serphin was surprisingly lenient in this area. The boldness of a knight, perhaps? She had that magnanimous air of accepting reasonable advice, no matter how presumptuous. No wonder I like these gal crush types. Relieved, I resumed my doctor duties.
"Then, Lady Marsha. Let me recommend a diet to help restore your calories."
"Th-thank you?"
"Ah, oops! Sorry..."
And then, without thinking, I did to her what I'd done to Iris.
Marsha stared at me with a flustered face, while Serphin watched with an intensely intrigued expression. I hastily withdrew my hand and bowed to both. No familiarity, yet I patted her head... Ruined a perfect performance at the end.
"Hahaha, our Marsha is cute, isn't she?"
"That's..."
How could I let the image I'd built crumble like this? Frustrated with myself, I was self-reproaching when urgent footsteps echoed from afar. Soon, the door burst open, and Hermann—who'd gone out volunteering with me—appeared.
"L-Luin! Big trouble! The young lady... the young lady!"
He shouted in a grave voice.
"...Hermann?"
"Lady Iris has collapsed!"
"What?!"
Ah, Iris collapsed?
Startled, I jumped up. From his demeanor, it didn't seem like a lie. If so, she really had... Why? How? I didn't know the reason, but... this wasn't the time to stand around. Hastily excusing myself, I rushed out with Hermann. It meant committing blasphemy again... but I didn't care.
Treating Iris came first.
Dirk Luin was a man worth learning from. At least, that's what Marsha Rune thought. Luin, who taught her using even unfamiliar difficult words. Hearing his point that one must first cherish oneself, Marsha was deeply impressed inwardly.
Because it was a perspective she'd never heard before.
She'd always been taught unwavering loyalty... but loyalty wasn't everything.
It might have seemed rude, but it wasn't wrong. How could you trust a chef with food poisoning? Luin's criticism was justified, and it made Marsha reflect on herself. She was still immature.
'Lady Marsha, you're still young, aren't you?'
Yet Luin didn't condemn her. Instead, he comforted her. Stroking her hair with a gentle voice—that was the first warm affection she'd felt, born as a concubine's child and raised lonely in the knight order.
Of course, only Serphin had truly cared for her...
This heartwarming feeling was new. It felt like discovering the "paternal love" she'd always wondered about. If I'd had a father... would he have comforted me like this? The thought slipped in unbidden. Gazing at the empty spot Luin left, she felt regret.
I should have thanked him... It nagged at her.
"This... I should go check too."
"......Is that okay?"
"Iris? Hmm... she'll be fine. Tougher than she looks."
"No, I mean Luin. One of his patients collapsed."
"Ah, that? Well, if it were the old Sirius, maybe... but not now."
"......I see."
"Anyway, I'll tell the staff downstairs, so you eat and rest."
"Understood."
"I'm off then."
Worried, Serphin packed up and headed to the Reginar house. Left alone, Marsha fretted over Luin's safety. The Sirius she knew was infamous for his bad temper. Even if he'd changed lately... could he stay calm with his sister collapsed? It worried her on multiple fronts.
-Bang
"Marsha! You collapsed?!"
But then, a visitor arrived for her.
"What's with that gaunt face! Starving again, huh?! I told you to chew three full meals a day! A knight with malnutrition... honestly! Such a problem child!"
Chloe Yates, her recently befriended friend, rushed over in concern.
"Chloe? How did you..."
"Heard from Hans!"
"......He told you about me?"
"He said to let him know if anything happened to you!"
"...Really? Wait, more importantly... how did you know?"
"Huh? Know what?"
"The malnutrition."
"What? What are you talking about! It's obvious just looking! How could I not see how sickly you look!"
It had been like that since they first met. Chloe was an uncanny woman. She seemed to know everything. Sharp eyes, perhaps? That's how they became friends... but today, it unnerved Marsha. Even the genius doctor only realized after checking her pulse—yet Chloe spotted the malnutrition at a glance? Marsha felt an inexplicable, unfamiliar emotion.
"By the way, Marsha."
"Hm?"
"When I came in, two guys were rushing out."
"Ah..."
"Know who they were?"
"Doctor Dirk Luin and... the other one's from the Reginar family, I think. Something urgent came up there."
"Doctor? ...Ah, so he's the doctor..."
"Why? Something happen?"
"No, just... I was curious about the guy who sees nothing."
"What?"
"Hehe, nothing. Anyway, eaten yet? Want me to cook?"
Chloe beamed innocently, patting Marsha as if it were no big deal. Marsha sighed, then reconsidered. She had her odd sides, but she was a good friend. Best to overlook the little things. No way she'd doubt her first friend over something trivial.