Chapter 183
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 183
I hoped he wasn’t badly hurt. Since he was a doctor who had even a slight chance of treating Gabriel, I was worried he might have seriously injured his hand.
Fortunately, Hyssop's wound wasn’t deep. It seemed to be just a light cut.
As I was checking on him, Gabriel stood up from his seat. He must have been worried about Hyssop, too. Gabriel knelt and began helping him clean up the floor. There’s really no need for him to go that far… Sure enough, Hyssop looked horrified and tried to stop him.
“Sir Knight! I-I’ll do it.”
“No, it’s fine. You don’t want to get dirt in your wound.”
Gabriel gently nudged the injured Hyssop back. A sigh escaped my lips. How was he going to survive in this harsh world when he was so soft-hearted?
This was exactly why he got used by me, taken advantage of by Bishop Marik, and constantly dragged into trouble. He really needed to take better care of himself. Right now, he couldn’t even move his own body without Pudding’s help, yet here he was, worrying about someone who just got a tiny cut on his hand.
“Canna is bringing a broom, so please don’t overexert yourself, Sir Gabriel.”
When I stopped him out of concern, Gabriel paused, his hands hovering over the shattered pot. Was I too overbearing? Worried he might be annoyed, I glanced down at him, but contrary to my expectations, a faint smile was playing on his lips.
“Yes, I’ll do that.”
Gabriel replied with a bright smile. Fortunately, he seemed to have some awareness that he was a patient, as he listened to me the moment I voiced my concern.
Before long, Canna returned with a broom, and the remaining pile of dirt and small shards were quickly swept away. The ever-sensible Canna had also brought a spare flowerpot for the dirt and herbs. Hyssop bowed his head with a deeply moved expression, as if he hadn't been trembling in fear at the mere sight of Canna just a moment ago. Thanks to her, the herbs were safely repotted.
“…It’s called Sangro.”
“Sangro?”
He was only now answering the question I had asked ages ago. What a delayed reaction.
“You can brew it as a tea or crush it to apply as a poultice. It’s also an herb that helps with sleep…”
Ah. So he meant he had gone out of his way to procure it for Gabriel. He must have gone through a lot of trouble to get it so early in the morning. Yet here I was, threatening him, getting him injured, and making him clean up the mess. I felt a pang of guilt.
“You went to all this trouble for me? Thank you so much for everything.”
When Gabriel thanked him, Hyssop blushed and shook his head vigorously. So this is the difference in our popularity.
I was certain that if I had said those exact words, Hyssop would have reacted defensively, accusing me of being sarcastic.
“I-I’m sorry. At first, I refused to treat Sir Gabriel. I only brought the Sangro out of guilt, so there is absolutely no need to thank me.”
“But I heard you worked hard all night when my fever spiked. It is only natural to thank you for treating me.”
Hyssop hung his head, his face filled with guilt. This seemed much more effective than my threats… Is this the carrot and the stick? In the end, it was the warm sun, not the harsh wind, that made the traveler take off his coat.
“May I ask about the effects of the herb you brought?”
“Of course!”
Encouraged by Gabriel’s interest, Hyssop began to ramble on about the herb’s benefits. Consuming it would improve blood circulation, relieve pain, calm the mind…
Listening to him, it sounded like a cure-all that could rival holy water. Wasn’t Hyssop being watched by the temple precisely because he made claims like this? Adding a few precautions, Hyssop gave a final warning.
“Ah. It is especially harmful to animals, so cats must never eat it.”
Hyssop spoke while aiming his gaze at the arrogant Pudding. Pudding’s fur bristled as if he wanted to scratch Hyssop’s face, so I quickly coaxed and soothed him.
Pudding, let’s let it slide. It’s admirable that he thought of Gabriel, so let’s let him off just this once. Pudding clicked his tongue and settled into a loaf on my lap.
“…Did the cat just click its tongue? Was this a dream after all?”
Hyssop tapped his ear and asked, but no one answered. After spacing out for a moment, he suddenly snapped to his senses and straightened his posture.
“Um, Sir Gabriel…”
“Thanks to the holy water, Sir Gabriel has completely recovered.”
Since Hyssop was bravely trying to ask about Gabriel, I cut him off immediately. He would probably handle it well on his own, but it was necessary to warn him to watch his mouth one more time.
I shut him down by claiming we used holy water. Since Gabriel’s wounds were still clearly visible, Hyssop would know it was a lie.
“It is a blessing from God. Isn’t that right?”
“But… Sir Gabriel clearly… the holy water…”
It seemed Hyssop had dropped his wits along with the flowerpot. I stepped closer to him. Hyssop gasped in horror.
“The Sun Goddess must be watching over him, showing goodwill even to a careless doctor who breaks the very pot of medicine meant for his patient.”
Hyssop couldn’t even meet my gaze. I stared intently into his eyes and spoke.
“Since he is such a kind paladin, the Sun Goddess must be watching over him.”
It was a warning that this was the official story, and he shouldn’t think about digging any deeper.
I felt I needed to change the subject quickly. Remembering that he had pricked his hand on the shards, I handed Hyssop three vials of holy water. They were left over from what we had used on Gabriel, and since I’d noticed them in Gabriel’s room earlier, I gave them to him to divert his attention.
There was still a decent amount of holy water left at the Duke’s estate, and since it didn’t work on Gabriel anyway, it seemed better for Hyssop to have it. The Duke would handle the payment for Gabriel’s treatment, so this was a complimentary service. Well… let’s call it payment for him procuring the herbs so early in the morning.
“This is…”
“You’re hurt, aren’t you?”
Hyssop accepted the vials with trembling hands. Why was he, a doctor, acting so awkward around holy water? I was puzzled by his behavior, as if he were receiving something incredibly precious, but then I suddenly remembered the price of holy water and held my tongue.
Even my Canna had struggled because she couldn’t get her hands on it. Although Hyssop was a doctor, he probably didn’t have many opportunities to come across it. Those who could afford holy water wouldn’t call for Hyssop, and only those who couldn’t even dream of getting it would seek him out. And there were surely people who didn’t even have the money to call a doctor in the first place.
“Is this real holy water?”
“Would I give you a fake?”
“Is it really alright for me to accept this…?”
“Are you saying you won’t accept what I give you?”
“N-No!”
After a brief back-and-forth, Hyssop tucked the vials of holy water into his coat.
“…Thank you. I will use it well. I’ll keep it as a last resort for when my own skills fall short.”
Seeing that he didn’t treat his hand right away, it seemed he intended to save it for others rather than use it on himself.
I didn’t care whether Hyssop sold it, treated patients with it, or did whatever else, so I simply nodded. Though knowing him, he would probably use it for treatment.
Hyssop kept patting his chest where the holy water was stored. Watching him receive the vials—which were no different from plain water to me—as if they were the most precious things in the world, a thought crossed my mind. How much holy water is left at the Duke’s estate?
Since we wouldn’t need to deal with the Rat anymore, maybe I could persuade the Duke to keep a little and donate the rest to Hyssop. Giving some to the other doctors like Kalmia or the old man seemed like a good idea, too.
“Don’t be stingy with it. We brought in quite a lot of holy water to treat Sir Gabriel, so there’s a decent amount left. Since you’ll be treating him from now on, we won’t need the rest of it.”
Hyssop understood that I was offering to give him more and bowed his head. Was this the effect of a donation? This time, Hyssop bowed not out of fear, but with genuine respect.
“Then, may I examine Sir Gabriel’s condition now?”
Gabriel nodded. After a thorough examination, Hyssop asked, his voice filled with disbelief.
“How on earth are you moving?”
Rather than asking for the method, he seemed utterly shocked by the state of Gabriel’s body. Hyssop groaned.
“This isn’t something I should say to a patient, but it would have been better if your body couldn’t move at all. It will be dangerous if you keep overexerting yourself like this.”
In truth, his hands and feet were still paralyzed; Gabriel was only able to move thanks to Pudding’s ability. Hyssop grew serious upon realizing that Gabriel’s condition hadn’t actually improved at all.
My own mood soured. Even though his physical state was the same, I had forgotten the severity of his injuries because Gabriel was moving around so perfectly, as if he didn’t have a single scratch.
Gabriel couldn’t rely on Pudding’s ability forever. If Pudding withdrew his power right now, Gabriel would return to a state where he couldn’t even walk properly. Could Hyssop really cure him? I glanced at Hyssop, my concern mounting.
Hyssop laid down the law.
“I know it won’t be easy, but could you please restrain yourself a little? …At least until I make the medicine.”
“Medicine?”
“Yes. I may not look it, but I’m the genius the temple keeps an eye on for threatening the status of holy water. So, shouldn’t I make a medicine that rivals it? Since I received holy water from Lady Rohanson, I have to earn my keep.”
Hyssop declared confidently. He knew better than anyone that it was impossible for human skill to create a cure-all that could replace a divine blessing. Even with the modern medicine I knew, nothing could match the performance of holy water.
The reason Hyssop said it was to reassure Gabriel. It was also a declaration that he would oppose the temple and stand firmly on our side. And finally, it was a threat: would Gabriel really dare to overexert himself when Hyssop was going to such lengths for him?
“I will be waiting,” Gabriel said, surrendering with a smile to the man working so hard on his behalf.
He then added playfully, “How much do you plan to charge? If it’s too expensive, I might not be able to afford it after being defrocked.”
“Don’t worry. I will serve you for just a single silver coin.”
Canna, who had been listening intently to their banter, chimed in.
“Oh, if it’s a single silver coin, even I can buy as much as I want.”
Having been born with a silver spoon in my mouth in this life, I didn’t realize just how dreamlike a price of one silver coin was for medicine. But seeing Canna’s reaction, I made a decision.
If Hyssop really did make a medicine that rivaled holy water, I would gift Canna a box of silver coins so she could buy as much as she wanted. No, let’s make it gold coins. And I’d give some to Hyssop, too, for all his hard work.
“I will explain Sir Gabriel’s condition to the other doctors.”
“I’ll leave it to you.”
Since Hyssop had only come to drop off the flowerpot, he left as soon as the situation was sorted out, even offering to brief Kalmia and the others. Considering Gabriel’s condition, there was no reason to leave his treatment solely to one person. Since the Duke had gone to the trouble of blackmailing these competent and tight-lipped doctors, I wanted to make full use of them.
“It was a noisy morning.”
After Hyssop left, we finally started our late breakfast. The menu was an easy-to-digest soup, out of consideration for Gabriel. The meal Canna had brought had gone cold, but Pudding reheated it with a burst of warmth. I felt a little sorry for Gabriel, but if I were told to bring only one thing to a deserted island, I would definitely choose Pudding. How could I leave the all-powerful cat behind? I had to keep him by my side for the rest of my life.
Gabriel picked up his spoon. The sound of it clinking against the bowl echoed in the quiet room. Since the way he controlled his body was different now, it seemed he was still finding it difficult to move.
“I will get used to it quickly,” Gabriel said, excusing his awkwardness before changing the subject. “My Lady, did you hear about my condition from Pudding?”
“No. I only found out after I entered the room.”
“Is that so?”
Why was he asking that? I hadn’t shown it on the outside, but internally, I had been so shocked my jaw had nearly hit the floor.
“It’s just… you prepared a meal for two, My Lady.”
“Ah, that’s…”
I couldn’t finish my sentence as I felt my face heat up. How on earth could I tell him I had planned to feed him myself?