A Smile of Genuine Happiness
Today's featured patient from the viewer-submitted stories, Curtis, who said he wanted to regain his smile—he continued speaking in a flat tone, head bowed.
"I used to work as a coachman for the Julius Merchant Group."
The Julius Merchant Group? That's the one from the Julius Marquis family that Count Pepper promised to introduce me to, right?
Minho didn't know much about the Julius Marquis family beyond what Count Pepper had told him. Naturally, his attention was drawn to Curtis's story.
"It was five years ago, in the summer. We set off on our usual trade route. As Your Lordship probably knows well, the Julius Merchant Group deals in high-value precious metals. That's why we always travel with knights for protection against potential bandits. And that day... that day..."
Curtis's hands trembled as he clenched them tightly, as if reliving the memory, but he pressed on with his explanation.
"The wind was unusually fierce that day. Unfortunately, our trade timing coincided with typhoon season, so the path to the delivery point was blocked by fallen trees—we couldn't pass at all. We had no choice but to take a detour we'd never used before."
"Is that when the accident happened?"
"Yes... that's right."
Curtis's expression darkened further as he continued.
"The detour made the distance longer, so the caravan continued late into the evening. The silver lining was that it was summer, so the sun set late. The wind was strong, but not enough to halt the caravan. But... the problem was that we weren't the only ones thinking of that route. Carriages from the opposite direction—a sharply curving path—were speeding toward us."
Now it was easy to understand how the scars covering Curtis's face had formed. They were all too familiar, resembling the aftermath of a drunk-driving collision victim.
"Oh no... It must have been impossible to avoid."
"The wind was roaring so loudly that by the time we entered the side path, we couldn't even properly spot the oncoming carriages until it was too late. Of course, as the lead coachman responsible for scouting the road ahead, the biggest fault lies with me."
"......"
"In that accident, I was at the front of the caravan and suffered the worst injuries. When we collided with the speeding carriages from the other side, my lower jaw was nearly torn off, and my neck vertebrae were fractured and lacerated."
Curtis gingerly touched the severe scars on his neck and face with trembling hands, as if they belonged to someone else.
"What Your Lordship can see now are just the scars on my face and neck, but my thighs and legs are covered in deep scars from the accident too, and even the backs of my hands bear heavy marks. And beyond that..."
Curtis bit his quivering lip hard and went on describing the scars he'd endured.
Minho had a rough idea of Curtis's condition from the submission details, but the scars were even more extensive than expected.
Hmm... Yeah, this would definitely eat away at anyone's self-esteem.
It was still a bit chilly at the end of March. But once the warm season arrived, he couldn't hide all his scars with long sleeves and pants forever. And facial scars couldn't be concealed regardless of the weather—that was likely why he kept his head bowed so low.
After explaining the scars across his body, Curtis paused, let out a deep sigh, and continued his story.
"The saving grace was that the Julius Merchant Group's caravans always travel with mages. Their healing magic saved my life... but it couldn't mend my shattered spirit. Nor the repulsive wounds left on my body."
"......So after the incident, you switched jobs right away? The submission listed your occupation as farmer, not coachman."
"Ah, sort of. It wasn't exactly by choice—I simply couldn't continue with the merchant group anymore."
"Did you lose strength or develop some functional impairment?"
A detailed exam was needed, but at a glance, nothing seemed functionally wrong. Yet something had been damaged enough to end his coaching career?
As if reading Minho's mind, Curtis waved his hands frantically.
"No, nothing like that. I left the Julius Merchant Group because my appearance turned into this mess."
"You were let go because of your looks? What do you mean...?"
"Oh, you didn't know? The Julius Merchant Group crafts and sells the empire's finest precious metals, so even the workers and servants must have presentable appearances. Not faces that inspire disgust like mine..."
Discriminating based on looks. One of the things Minho hated most. It was why he felt no fondness for people who fawned over him solely for his appearance.
"Anyway, I have no regrets about leaving the Julius Merchant Group. Everyone knows you can't work there if your looks aren't up to par. After the accident, the group's mages treated me right away, and they even gave generous compensation."
"Then what prompted you to submit this story?"
At Minho's question, Curtis pulled a rolled-up sheet of paper from his bosom and unrolled it. It bore the portrait of a woman.
"I wandered lost for a long time. And the one who pulled me from that darkness is this woman in the picture. She's not just beautiful in appearance but in heart too—someone I'm endlessly grateful for. We're set to marry this fall."
"Did your fiancée say anything about your appearance?"
"No, not at all. The problem... is with me."
Curtis waved his hands in surprise, then cautiously lifted his head.
"Regina cherishes me no matter what I look like. It's just... I want to stand tall in front of her. I want to be a man worthy of her. And I want to smile genuinely again."
"Is smiling difficult for you now?"
Curtis nodded slightly at the question.
"Maybe from the injuries, but every time I try to smile, the pain is intense. Since the carriage accident, my smiles have always hidden that agony."
"......"
"The reason I submitted this story is for our wedding day. I want to show Regina a smile of true happiness in front of her. Not a grimace masking pain."
The emotions he felt inside. Curtis wanted to show them raw to his bride-to-be, on what would be the happiest day of their lives.
Perfect. A bit more footage, and this'll be gold.
One reason for the near-weekly viewer story events on Saturdays was their promotional power—the consultation process and before-and-after videos and photos drew huge results. Patients got free treatment, and Minho reaped promo benefits without portrait rights or medical law headaches. A win-win.
But masking his inner thoughts, Minho kept a resolute expression as he gazed at Curtis and continued. Purely gloomy tales didn't sell as well in promos—mixing in some brighter elements boosted impact.
"So Curtis's treatment is for yourself and your fiancée, then. One thing I'm curious about—Regina, was it?"
"Yes."
"Did Regina react indifferently to your scars?"
At the question, Curtis bowed his head slightly again, cheeks flushing.
"Before the accident, I had no trouble with women. I had a solid job as the lead coachman for the Julius Merchant Group, and without scars, my looks were decent enough."
"Hmm... I'm not asking for bragging rights here. Ah, this'll need editing."
"Pardon?"
"So how did you meet Regina?"
"Regina was different from the others. It was after I quit coaching and was spending my days alone, drinking at the adventurer's guild. For some reason that day, I couldn't stand living like that anymore. So I mustered the courage to ask to join her table."
Using the adventurer's guild like a pickup bar. Quite the intriguing tale.
"And?"
"Of course, my courage didn't guarantee success. Everyone took one look at my face and fled in horror. But one day, I saw Regina for the first time. She was a woman dining leisurely alone. Haha, she accepted my join-table request without hesitation."
"No shock at your face?"
"Yes. Whether it was liquid courage or I just wanted to be honest about my hideous state, I told her everything about my scars. But Regina just asked... what did it matter?"
"So looks weren't an issue for her?"
At Minho's rephrasing, Curtis gave a pained smile and nodded.
"She said there was no need to say more about my appearance—just whether I was interested in her or not. That's how bold and kind she is. I... I want to give her a smile full of sincerity on the day we tie the knot."
Curtis's eyes grew misty as he recalled the past. That was plenty for promo footage.
"Thank you for sharing such a heartfelt story. And first off, you came to the right place. What I do isn't just making people more handsome or beautiful—it's turning negatives into positives."
"Sniff... Thank you... thank you, Your Lordship!"
"Then let's proceed with the detailed exam and surgery right away."
Footage secured. Time to restore the smile he'd promised.
Knock knock—
"Come in."
"Director, everything's ready. Straight to the OR?"
After the consultation and detailed exam, as Minho waited in his office, Stella knocked and entered to report prep complete.
"Let's do a quick pre-op briefing first. Have Rebecca and Hazel come here too."
"Yes, Director."
Before major surgery, all the witches were summoned. Today, Minho would just observe—the actual procedure would be handled by them.
Moments later, Rebecca and Hazel followed Stella into the office.
"Stella's leading today's surgery, right?"
"Yes, Director."
"Good, listen up. Curtis has multiple issues on his face, and actually across his whole body—tissue loss, scars, etc. But what's the most critical?"
"Probably the lips. For lips as narrow and tight as Curtis's, a flap surgery seems necessary."
Stella's immediate response earned an instinctive nod. Flap surgery was a reconstructive technique pulling nearby tissue to fill defects. She'd only done it once, on the cleft lip of Baron Dudein's lady, but she remembered.
"Exactly. Detach the upper lip and attach it to the lower. Blood supply is key, so apply healing magic appropriately and be careful separating the upper and lower lips post-flap. Curtis doesn't have excess skin on his upper lip either, so proceed with maximum caution to avoid damage."
"Yes, Director!"
"Alright, let's go. Time to give Curtis back his smile."