Doctor Resignation

“This is the latest information I have, Sir Ferelmen.”

Arga Ferelmen’s closest adviser, Diel, provided a report to his employer.

Diel was just an eighteen-year-old teenager.
Despite his age, he was the most intelligent child that Arga recognized.

He has light but pastel pink hair and a pair of blue eyes like a summer lake.
Also, his handsome face and his physique made him more approachable.
Diel was a very good employee who listened to all orders from the Ferelmen.

The report consists of a bunch of profiles of thirteen-year-old girls.
All the girls had blonde hair and a pair of light green eyes.

“There are also some girls who have been adopted from the nursery, but I have marked their name in red, sir.”

“Well done.”

“Are you going ‘there’ in person again?”

“I should.”

Arga rubbed his tired eyes and said firmly.

“They need me for the paternity test.”

Arga’s association scoured the Empire, looking for all the girls who had blonde hair and a pair of light green eyes.
She resembled her biological mother.
An innocent creature turned thirteen this year, but she was nowhere to be found.

Arga never saw his daughter nor did he touch the infant in the slightest.
He thought there was a chance that his daughter looked like him or her biological mother.

When some children with the same traits were found, he carelessly proceeded with the paternity test.

The paternity test took quite a long time because he had to see several microbiology reactions.

Arga was so anxious to find his only daughter that he spent so much time searching for her without any clues.

“But…”

Diel hesitated a bit and said carefully.

“Is this really a solid source, sir? That your daughter was blonde… ”

“Baron Ishid said that my daughter has blonde hair.”

Arga said calmly as he read the names on the reports one by one.

“She had blonde hair that resembled her mother and a pair of light green eyes like the leaves of a tree.”

“….”

—

Zion Narnia Laverry

Once, Arga’s wife was seven months pregnant when she went out alone to attend her mother’s birthday party.

At that time, Arga would attend 10 days later because he was involved in important medical research for the Imperial order.

There was a low demand for doctors from the noble faction, as they needed to save a noble from dying in the Imperial Palace.
He had requested to retire earlier because he can’t afford to be late for the birthday banquet.

“I can’t be late and I’m quite worried about my wife’s condition.” (Ferelmen)

Arga had examined Zion in person and it was confirmed multiple times that her daughter was healthy and that there was a small chance of premature delivery.
He checked her out too, before sending her off on her own.

Zion traveled alone to the Laverry Estate.
The landscape of the mansion was beautiful, calm, picturesque but elegant.
However, it was quite far from the Imperial Capital as the property was located on an island.

However, he stopped at Baron Ishid’s mansion to get some rest.
Or so she thought when Zion suddenly gave birth to a healthy baby girl.

Fortunately, Baron Ishid said that he was able to welcome his daughter due to his poor medical knowledge.

Zion got hot for such a short period.
She quickly chartered an official boat to get to the island with her baby, after saying:

“I cannot be a nuisance to other people, especially in your mansion for too long, my lord.”

And there it was, gone, like a winter wind as their bodies crossed the river.
In short, they disappeared.

That is the only information and report they received from Baron Ishid.

Shortly thereafter, Zion’s body was found in a very remote and unexpected location across the shore from the Empire.

Unfortunately, the baby was nowhere to be found.
Arga Ferelmen felt mad, cold, and even unhealthy.
It was as if something had hit him on the head.

He searched for his baby all over the continent and didn’t know if she was alive or dead.

And it’s been 13 years since then.

“Baron Ishid is the legitimate brother of Duchess Cerseus.
He even welcomed my daughter with his own hands.” (Ferelmen)

Arga was in a dilemma as he kept thinking.
He put his palm to his head covering his already flushed face.

“I… I was very sure that there was a minimal chance that Zion would go into premature labor.
H-ha…”

No matter how much time had passed, Arga’s voice still trembled.
His fear and anxiety of losing someone important were driving him crazy.

“I… No… There is no way I can misdiagnose her…”

Diel nodded slowly.
The mood was cloudy and quiet.
A man with pride almost always trembled but shed no tears.

“I heard you have a new assistant, sir.”

“Yes, again.”

Arga shrugged as he leaned back in his chair, trying to relax.

“My assistant changes every day.”

“But umm this time, you… I mean, did they give her a nice room?”

Arga smiled at Diel’s words.

It was quite an impulsive decision to give the fierce assistant his daughter’s room.

But her medical knowledge was surprising, the confidence of the 13-year-old girl reminded him of his childhood.

Although she had nice curly brown hair, her bright green eyes seemed to resemble Zion.
But her clothes were bothering him.

When the time comes, Arga will throw the clothes again.

He thought he could give the clothes to this girl.
He even let her use his daughter’s room after some thought.

“She’s smart.
I just want her to stay for a long time.”

Arga responded coldly, unable to say that it seemed to remind him of his childhood.
He closed his eyes, swallowing his ego.

“She has to be more comfortable here to not go anywhere else.”

“Where else will she go?”

“With that kind of knowledge, it wouldn’t be surprising if she opened her own clinic.
I’m going to teach her well and make her stay here a long time, and it will give me more time to look for my daughter.”

“It’s the first time.
You’ve never liked your assistant, have you sir?”

Arga opened his eyes and looked at the latter with his sharp gray eyes.

“I don’t exactly like her.”

“Well… I suppose you do.”

Diel scratched his jaw as he suddenly flinched at Arga’s intimidating aura.

»»————-　♡　————-««

I squinted and climbed a very large tree in the garden of the Cerceus as I watched Baron Ishid and Wederick leave.

It turned out that they stayed in the Duchy for three days and left now.

That’s why Arga decided to introduce me to the Duchess and Erhan tomorrow.

They were both rebels.
As soon as Erhan died, he took over the Duchy according to his plans.

Erhan looked towards the back of the carriage with a sullen expression.
He looked like a lost puppy watching his owner leave.

When I saw his reaction, I almost burst out laughing.

Erhan must be psychologically dependent on Wederick.

Due to psychological manipulation, Erhan will only follow Wederick’s every word.

‘Then there is only one way to stop this.’

I already knew how important it was to have an intimate relationship with a young patient from my experience at a local clinic.

‘I have to be closer to him, so he can trust me more.’

The question is, how can I get through the seven years that Wederick and Erhan spent?

But he had a very favorable condition.
Wederick was just a regular visitor, but I lived in the Duchy!

And we even live on the same floor!

Also, Wederick is four years older than Erhan, but we are the same age!

I watched Erhan enter the mansion sadly and quickly jumped out of the tree.

I was trying to stage the whole “coincidence” by pretending to go to my room.

I laughed as if I was glad to see Erhan walking with difficulty.

“Your grace?”

“Eh…? I think we meet very often, Miss.” (Erhan)

Eran looked at me with his head bowed.
His face was full of wariness and confusion.

“But why are you entering that room?”

“Oh here? Sir Ferelman asked me to use this room.”

“W-what?”

Ebony eyes flickered as he was surprised to hear her statement.

“A-are you sure, miss? That room …”

“I know, but surprisingly he gave me his daughter’s room.”

“Maybe… he likes me.”

Erhan gasped and looked a little surprised.

That’s because Arga Eite Ferelmen was not the type to like someone in the first place.

I shrugged because Ferelmen’s impression of people was not a good one.

“You see, I am staying in the Duchy for a long~ long time.
I am different from the other attendees.
Now can you believe me?

Erhan had these suspicious feelings and was being cautious, but he finally nodded slowly.

“Have you had dinner, Master Erhan?”

“Not yet.”

Erhan lowered his eyes.

“Without Brother Wederick… I will have to eat alone.”

The Duchess was so busy that she couldn’t have dinner with Erhan every day.

‘They don’t seem to be on friendly family terms.’

I smiled and pretended to be close.

“So, would you like to join me?”

“J-Join you…?”

Eran blinked and asked again.

“Yes! If you don’t want to eat alone, I’ll talk to you and even accompany you.”

“…”

Fortunately, I was able to have dinner with Erhan the day after I met him.

I thought I was getting close to him in a moment, but I was caught in an embarrassing situation.

‘A nobleman eats in his room?’

I thought we would be eating in a dining room like when I was formally having lunch with Ferelmen.
But instead, he led me to his room.

The maid brought two servings of food alone.

I was quite surprised, but I stood still in Erhan’s room which was located at the end of the hall.

I was not expecting this, but I stayed alone with Erhan in his room.

The room was spacious and minimalistic.
There was a king-size bed for him to sleep on.
A bookshelf was placed near the window and filled with various types of books.

“There are so many books, do you read them often?”

“I read them once, but I don’t read them these days.”

“What, why?”

“Brother Wederick said I’ll get a headache if I study.
He told me that if I got sick, people would be upset.”

This was not something anyone could tolerate and it was also not believable.
In later days, only adults read those kinds of complicated books.

“People like you must get upset when I get sick.”

“What?”

I was dumbfounded by his statement.

“Brother Wederick said people will feel bad if I’m bedridden.”

“You should have told Ferelmen if you were sick.
I also have the qualifications to be an assistant.”

“You’re going to be expelled soon anyway.”

There must be a reason he still distrusted me.

Erhan’s tone aggravated the situation.

As I cut a steak to ask more questions while eating, I frowned when I saw Erhan put down his knife.

“Master Erhan.
why aren’t you eating?”

“Brother Wederick told me I get fat if I eat too much.”

I expected this, but Wederick’s manipulation was a disaster.
From exercising, studying, and controlling his eating habits.

If I hear Wederick’s name one more time, I think I would be furious and go crazy.

I looked at his thin arms and said sternly.

“What? You’re too skinny now.
You need to eat more.
It’s called, growing up.”

“But then everyone thinks it’s funny.”

“What nonsense…I’m smarter than you.
Listen to me.
You need to get back to reading the books, finishing your food, and exercising regularly.”

“Brother Wederick is saying this because he’s worried about me.”

“I’m going to be a lot more worried about you, Master Erhan.”

I took Erhan’s plate, cut the mostly intact steak, dipped it in a fork, and put it in Erhan’s mouth.

“Now eat.”

“Huh?”

“You may find it hard to believe now, but remember what I said until you reach adulthood.
I’m sure.”

Looking straight into Erhan’s eyes as I said firmly.

If Wederick and Erhan had spent seven years together, I would also spend six years living with him until I reached adulthood.

From today, I will have to give my value as much as Wederick.

‘I’ll give him the right prescription for 100 days, if he doesn’t take it, he’ll look like this.’

That’s how you manipulate a child.

“I’m the smartest person around you right now, and I will never lie…”

I will only tell and reveal the truth.

I was the only one who knew the future for now and was most concerned about him in the far future.

“I am the one who cares the most about you, Master Erhan.
Probably the only one in the world.”

His midnight black eyes looked at me as if they wanted to drown me between my pairs of green eyes.

“…Well okay.”

He took a bite of my piece of steak as he slowly swallowed it.
He replied in a low, trembling voice.

“I’ll never forget it.” (Erhan)