Chapter 164: Side Story 20

Unlike the whirlwind of schemes unfolding outside, Alexa was experiencing relatively peaceful days of her own.

Coming to the capital felt like the beginning of something new. Karrolf had encouraged her to observe and study as much as she could, saying that human medicine had many fascinating aspects. He had also told her that if it were Alexa, she’d surely be able to embrace and understand even unfamiliar medical practices.

In truth, Alexa hadn’t followed Jeremiah here because she lacked faith in the palace physicians. She simply couldn’t entrust his life to just anyone.

Alexa peered nervously into the workspace of the imperial doctors. The plaque on the door read ‘Royal Physicians’. These were the doctors who exclusively treated the royal family.

Just as Alexa raised her hand to knock… 

“What an insult this is. A young woman with no real experience, treating the prince?”

“They must really not trust us if they’re entrusting him to such an inexperienced amateur.”

“Does she even know how to conduct a proper examination?”

Wait, that woman they’re talking about… is it me?

Alexa blinked.

So that’s how they see me.

She nodded to herself. Their words didn’t hurt. When people who didn’t know her spoke ill of her, it didn’t faze her in the slightest. What mattered to her were the opinions of those who did know her.

Still, their comments brought up an angle she hadn’t quite considered. Alexa frowned slightly, focusing on the conversation.

“I mean, what could a girl that young possibly know?”

“I heard she was trained by a doctor who inherited Karrolf’s name…”

“So what? That still doesn’t mean she’s qualified to care for a prince! How was her skill even verified?”

Alexa mulled it over.

So the issue is my ability, huh? If I can prove my skills, they won’t care if I look after Jeremiah? She lightly tapped her chin.

Though her clinical training had been brief, she was confident. She had studied with Karrolf for a long time, and more importantly, she possessed healing abilities. She also had experience tending to a wide range of animals in her past life…

Jeremiah might be her first human patient, but Alexa was confident she could completely detoxify the poison in his body and restore his strength.

She knocked on the door.

“Hello, I’m Alexa Eneroff. I’ve come from Thersion to care for Jeremiah.”

She greeted them with a bright smile. Inside, the people who’d been huddled together gossiping squinted at her.

[“W-What? Did she hear everything?”]

[“But her expression’s too cheerful for that…”]

[“Could be fake. Maybe she’s just acting.”]

Their every thought was written all over their faces.

To be fair, Alexa hadn’t exactly lived a life free of obstacles. The people in Thersion had showered her with praise regardless of what she did, always saying she was wonderful, pretty, or cute. She had always known there would be people who disliked her for no reason, but it had been a while since she was actually faced with that.

Still, perhaps thanks to the protective shell she’d built up in Thersion, Alexa felt surprisingly unaffected. She smiled with a crystal-clear expression.

“I heard what you were saying outside.”

At her words, the gossiping group turned bright red and quickly dispersed, pretending to busy themselves. Alexa, undeterred, continued.

“If the problem is my ability, then we can let my ability do the talking, can’t we?”

Her confidence stemmed from the experience she had built up over the past few days. Even though she had been treating werewolves, their bodies were essentially human. The only real differences were in the medication and treatment speed. Alexa clenched her fists tightly.

“And how exactly do you propose to let your ability do the talking?”

“Yeah! You’re the one assigned to Prince Jeremiah anyway!”

“He’s not the only patient, is he?”

Alexa tilted her head, as if genuinely puzzled.

“I can’t back down when it comes to Jeremiah. Like you said, he doesn’t trust anyone else. And I believe trust between a doctor and patient is the most important part of treatment.”

With that, the others fell silent. Her casual use of his name alone made it obvious that the bond between Alexa and Jeremiah was something they couldn’t hope to interfere with. After all, Jeremiah had always been the forsaken prince. No one in the imperial palace had paid any real attention to him.

Not even during his childhood years in the capital. That was why the others could only stand there, speechless.

As they exchanged glances, unsure what to do, Alexa proposed, “Let’s compete by treating the other patients.”

“How? Are you seriously suggesting we gamble with patients? Don’t you even understand basic medical ethics?”

“I never said anything about gambling.”

Alexa responded calmly.

“I’m saying we let the patients choose their physician.”

“…Of course they’ll choose us! We’re the royal physicians, after all. That title exists for a reason! It proves we’re the most skilled doctors.”

“Then you accept the competition?”

They bristled but nodded. Their pride was brimming. Clearly, they didn’t think for a second they could lose to some young upstart. Alexa raised her chin in defiance.

“Oh, and, I won’t use magic.”

“Magic?”

“I know how to use healing magic. But for the sake of fairness, I won’t use it in the competition. Since I’m making this concession, you’ll also be participating fairly, right?”

“Ahem.”

The physicians, who had already been thinking about using their connections to rig the outcome, let out awkward coughs. Alexa gave a small, incredulous laugh as she looked at them.

‘So that’s how you want to play it?’

Well, I’ve got my own backup too.

The most powerful person in this world was on Alexa’s side! She had wanted to prove herself with her own strength as much as possible, but if they weren’t going to play fair… Alexa silently clenched her small fist.

Did they really think she would just roll over and take this?

* * *

Pant, pant.

Neimir panted heavily, mouth open. Just where had he been dragged to?

“What the hell is this scrawny thing?”

“No clue. I heard Lord Ysildus just threw him in here with those slitted eyes of his.”

“…What’d he do to piss him off?”

“Hell if I know. Must’ve sinned a lot in a past life.”

Surrounded by burly men clucking their tongues, Neimir finally managed to wet his dry throat. 

Ysildus had thrown him into a forge. Not just any forge, but one filled with brawny men all a full head taller than him! Their arms were as thick as Neimir’s thighs, and their fists were the size of his head. And those gleaming white fangs… 

Are they even human?

Watching them hammer away tirelessly, forging weapon after weapon, made Neimir feel faint. They didn’t stop for even a second. Neimir, gasping as he tried to lift a hammer that reached his waist, drew sneers from the werewolves around him.

“Sure, maybe you were a sinner in a past life… but did you steal a fortune or kill someone?”

The casual jab made Neimir flinch.

Han Yu-hee, Han Yu-hee! I said I was sorry, didn’t I? This must be why they say you can’t escape your sins. Dripping with sweat, Neimir stumbled unsteadily.

“Hey, if you keep collapsing like that, who’s going to do your work, huh? You know you’ve got a month’s quota to meet, right?”

“He’s going to starve at this rate. Acting all weak when he’s just a slave. Tsk.”

“If it weren’t for Lord Ysildus, nobody would’ve taken in garbage like you!”

One of the men shoved his nose close to Neimir’s face, sniffing him. His eyebrows twitched.

“W-What are you doing!”

“Don’t be so uptight. I just sniffed you a bit!”

Neimir shrank back as the man bared his teeth and growled. An inexplicable pressure weighed down on him.

“He’s got wolf blood, alright.”

“Some weak ones pop up sometimes. Even when they’re mixed with humans, they’re not usually this feeble, though. Tsk.”

Wolf blood? Mixed with humans? What kind of fantasy nonsense was this now?

Neimir blinked.

“I… I’m a wolf?”

“Werewolf. Don’t know? Haven’t you felt weird since you got here? Like your body’s being crushed or something?”

“Y-Yeah, actually…”

“That’s ‘cause you’re a weak wolf, dumb*ss. Never seen one this fragile. And never met one so dumb they didn’t even know they were a wolf.”

“T-Then… is everyone in this world a werewolf?”

“They only live within Thersion! Step outside and you’ll feel a lot better.”

So that’s why he was fine outside. He had to escape this place. He really had to…

“He’s thinking about running. Look at him. Make sure he doesn’t escape. Not before Lord Ysildus really does rip him apart.”

The men clicked their tongues.

“Don’t know if he’s brave or just stupid. You’ll get yourself killed acting like that.”

Neimir gulped.

“If you kill people just like that… won’t the Emperor do something?”

“What the hell are you talking about?”

The werewolves burst into laughter.

“Who the hell dares interfere in Thersion’s affairs? Not even the Emperor can touch us! What a lunatic.”

Neimir collapsed in a daze. So… he really had to live like this forever?

Sins of a past life.

That phrase lodged itself firmly in his heart.