Doctor Resignation - Chapter 13

***

“Lise? Lise!”

The first thing that popped into my sight after I fell unconscious, is the glistening black eyes that are wet with tears.

“……Master Erhan?”

“A-are you okay?”

“Yes.”

I put my hand on my head as I forcefully sat up. I cleared my throat because it felt dry.

“……it’s been two days.”

Erhan looked at me with his wet eyes.

Seeing that he couldn’t even say anything, it was clear that he thought that this was all his fault from the start.

But it’s not like that.

I don’t know why I feel sorry for him.

Thin but sturdy arms embraced me warmly. Feeling him shaking, I could tell that he was crying.

“……I’m worried.”

I patted his back to calm him down.

It was a bit amazing because his embrace was strong, unlike his weak physique.

“Erbornian snake venom can be cured in two days if properly cared for. I’m sure Sir Perelman gave me a very good prescription.”

I forced him to let go of me because it was a little suffocating.

“That’s true, but….., I’m really nervous. I’m afraid you’ll never wake up again. Why did you get bitten instead of me?”

“I am healthy, so I can recover after receiving simple treatment, but Master Erhan has a chronic illness. I’d rather be bitten in your place.”

However, Erhan seemed unsure of my reasoning.

“Lise, please don’t do that again. Promise me.”

His eyes trembled as if he was very frightened. He gripped my right hand nervously.

“I can’t promise you that. Master Erhan’s health is my top priority.”

Replying firmly, I turned my face away.

“But……”

Just as Erhan was about to say something, the bedroom door opened and Perelman and Duchess entered with furrowed brows.

“It’s a reasonable option for you to get bitten since you don’t have any chronic disease, but……” Perelman sighed and checked my condition. He looked at me and spoke in a low voice, “What if it’s not an Erbonian snake, but a more vicious and deadly snake…..?”

“I didn’t think much of it because I was sure it was an Erbonian snake,” I speak calmly and confidently. “I think I’m being well looked after because my head isn’t too dizzy, my lord.”

“Do you think I can’t do this basic treatment?”

“I trust you, that’s why it’s okay if I get bitten by a snake.”

The Duchess couldn’t say a word as she stroked my head and sighed.

She simply muttered, “I can’t thank you enough and feel sorry.”

As Perelman said, it would be much more difficult if Erhan, who has a chronic illness, was bitten by a poisonous snake.

‘Frederick said it was a great place to visit.’

Erbonian snakes live in colonies. That means the hill is the home of the Erbonian colony.

‘Maybe it was just one of the traps he threw at Erhan.’

After all, there was nothing good about Frederick.

“Now that Lise has regained consciousness, Master should let her rest,” Perelman said to Erhan after checking on me.

He dragged Erhan, who was oddly clinging to me.

“She needs a good rest, so let’s all get out.”

“Yes.”

I nodded.

“Can you give me one sleeping pill, please? With the moonlit flowers.”

“I’ve already prepared it.”

After taking the sleeping pills that Perelman gave me, I fell asleep in the quiet room.

I’m dreaming. The background is blurry, so I don’t know where it is.

But……

A handsome man with midnight black eyes hugged me from behind.

“What if you catch a cold, Lise? You don’t even dry your hair in the middle of winter.”

My hair in the dream was long and curly. It was still brown and my emerald green eyes shone brightly.

“I am a former assistant doctor on this estate.”

“But if you get sick even a little bit, I’ll be in trouble.”

A soft yet soothing touch brushed my hair to my ear from behind. It was warm and comfortable.

“If you don’t mind, I’ll do it for you.”

He started to apply some oil to my hair. It’s a perfume oil for hair.

The touch of his hand stroking my curly long brown hair to the ends was so soothing. It was so comfortable that it made me relax.

“Haa……”

But strangely, every time his long but firm fingers touched my ears and neck, I felt strangely calm.

Then the man asked quietly, “Is there anything else bothering you?”

“What?”

“I will do everything for you, Lise. So you won’t be bothered.”

His face was so close that I could feel his hot breath tickle my ear.

“Isn’t it troublesome to take a bath by yourself?”

“Huh?”

I tilted my head slightly as his thumb suddenly went to my neck. I shivered as my collarbone was pressed.

I stopped his hand.

He smiled while shrugging his shoulders with a strange reaction.

“Why do you have such strange thoughts?”

“……is that what you think? But I don’t think it’s strange. Stay still, so you don’t have to feel tired.”

I was so dumbfounded that I clicked my tongue as he started to touch my ear with his slick palm, it looked like the oil was still there.

“I’ve been imagining a lot of things, too.”

“Seriously, you really!”

When I turned around and tried to hit his chest, he quickly grabbed my thin hand and aimed it at his cheek.

“Hit me here. Your hand will hurt if you hit my hard chest.”

I was dumbfounded.

What, this guy is so weird……

It was a sweet moment but somehow there was a kind of tension.

“Don’t ever get sick, Lise…… I don’t want to experience something worse.”

“What kind of worst experience?”

“The experience of my world collapsing.“

His muscular body approached me as his strong yet large arms wrapped around my small body.

“When I met you, you already became my world.”

“But wasn’t that a long time ago?”

“I never hated the chronic illness I had….., until I met you.”

He didn’t say anything wrong.

His body is as great as his face…… I think I’m a little crazy.

Then, I woke up from my sleep because of this strange dream.

And when I fell asleep again, I completely forgot the dream.

***

I recovered quickly because Perelman has been giving me a proper prescription.

I was lying down while thinking about research, but there was no result at all. But the people who make the experiment have gained complete confidence.

In the first place, I didn’t have any idea that I’d get bitten by a snake, but it was a good thing.

Perelman said he would leave me in the Duchy and leave for Irvia far south to find his daughter.

The Duchess and Erhan completely agreed for me to be their doctor for a while.

I quickly returned to my seat.

In the meantime, I wasn’t able to spend my time with Erhan.

I only prescribed the Duchess a headache pill and an upset stomach pill once and was invited to drink tea all of a sudden.

Neither the Duchess nor I said anything to each other, so it wasn’t a pleasant tea time.

However, colorful sweet dishes filled the table. My eyes are wide open.

“Is the dessert to your taste, Lise?”

“Sorry?”

“This is from a different cook and they were very ambitious when it came to preparing this.”

The Duchess spoke in a serious tone. “If you pick your favorite, I’ll hire the chef.”

“But he already has his own job……”

“I’ll give him twice the annual salary.”

I opened my mouth wide.

The rumors about the Duchess having the wealth of the imperial family must be true.

Well, that’s why Baron Ishid and Frederick will work hard to get that wealth from now on just to devour everything.

Too bad Frederick didn’t really care about Erhan.

And this territory will be controlled by the rebels……

The rebels should have planned it. I took a deep breath.

“Isn’t that fair?” The Duchess asked me while tilting her head as if she had misinterpreted my complicated expression.

“Shouldn’t you try to see their talent in serving various dishes other than sweets to hire an expensive chef?”

“If they can’t do anything else, you can ask them to make your own personal dessert.” The Duchess spoke lightly.