A Cold Is Cheating (1)
“Pardon? Ah, um, that’s…”
Catherine’s face darkened sharply, as if a painful memory had surfaced.
“Did something happen?”
“Well… I was working in the annex at the time, so I don’t know the full story.”
Catherine glanced at the sleeping prince before leaning in to whisper in my ear.
“The previous nanny collapsed after drinking tea laced with poison. They say His Highness ran all the way to the Medical Bureau himself to fetch a physician.”
The Third Prince’s Palace stood in the most remote corner of the imperial grounds.
The Medical Bureau was quite a distance away.
Edwin had sprinted there for his poisoned nanny, but not a single physician followed him back.
“At the time, the Second Prince had come down with pneumonia, so every doctor in the Bureau had been summoned to the Second Prince’s Palace.”
“Even so, couldn’t they have spared just one person?”
“The Second Consort… supposedly declared that no physician was to leave until the Second Prince had fully recovered.”
That was it. Edwin had simply been unlucky.
Horribly, viciously unlucky.
“The previous nanny was already quite elderly. In the end, she couldn’t be treated in time and passed away not long after.”
“…I see.”
For a moment, something Edwin had once said to me flashed through my mind.
She died. Because of me.
So that was why he’d said it.
I turned my gaze toward the boy lying in the bed.
Ever since the incident with Prince Lloyd, he hadn’t spoken a single word to me for days.
On top of that, outside of mealtimes he stayed buried under his blankets and refused to take a single step outside.
I hadn’t noticed how bad his condition had become.
“What should we do? His Highness hates physicians so much…”
“What do you mean, what should we do? We bring one.”
I handed Emilia over to Catherine.
“His fever’s only going to get worse. It could become dangerous.”
In my previous life, I had been blessed with a constitution so robust I had never once caught even a common cold.
They used to call me the Steel Human among my old colleagues.
So I couldn’t truly grasp how much pain he was in.
But I had seen plenty of people suffer severe aftereffects from prolonged high fevers.
The role of nanny I’ve been given hasn’t ended yet. In that case, I have to fulfill my responsibility.
As long as I still held this position, I could not allow him to end up like that.
“I’ll go to the Medical Bureau myself. Please look after His Highness while I’m gone.”
“You’re going personally, Nanny? Wouldn’t it be better if I went instead?”
Catherine looked strangely anxious.
“His Highness would probably feel more at ease with you by his side than with me…”
Her voice had lost all confidence.
I could guess why.
After what nearly happened with Lloyd while she was supposed to be watching the princes, it’s only natural she’d be terrified.
But I had no intention of sending her to the Medical Bureau.
It was a place that had turned away a prince who had come in person.
If I sent someone as gentle and kind-hearted as her, she would never manage to bring back even a single bottle of fever medicine.
“I have no talent for nursing.”
I spoke with a detached expression.
“Besides, since His Highness is so unwell, he won’t have the strength to run away anywhere.”
“Huh?”
“This time you can leave the palace entirely instead of just going to the annex. Why don’t you take this chance to go out and enjoy yourself for once?”
“N-Nanny—!”
Catherine, who had been panicking, finally realized I was teasing her and made a tearful face.
“Don’t tease me! I really thought my heart was going to stop that day!”
“Then I’ll leave him in your care.”
Without waiting for her answer, I left the room.
The sound of Edwin’s breathing, which I caught one last time, was growing increasingly ragged.
I needed to hurry.
Once I left the Third Prince’s Palace, I walked at a measured pace.
It didn’t take long for my steps to turn into a run.
The Medical Bureau of the Ventrum Empire was enormous in scale.
Instead of ornamental flowers, the vast garden was filled with every kind of medicinal herb imaginable.
I crossed the herb field and entered the main building.
The bitter scent of medicinal plants mixed with the sharp tang of spices stung my nose.
I reflexively frowned, and someone approached me.
“Which palace are you from, miss?”
It was an elderly man who appeared to be in his seventies.
The cloak he wore was embroidered with a snake climbing a wooden staff.
The symbol of the god of medicine.
Then this man must be the highest-ranking physician here.
I answered the physician in a polite tone.
“I’ve come from the Third Prince’s Palace.”
“…The Third Prince’s Palace?”
At the mention of the Third Prince’s Palace, the physician’s expression twisted strangely.
“Yes. His Highness the Third Prince is gravely ill right now, so if you could send a physician…”
“Oh dear, what should we do?”
The physician cut me off abruptly and offered an awkward smile.
“I’m afraid that won’t be possible at the moment. All the physicians are currently out on house calls.”
“All of them? Why?”
“Ah, don’t even get me started. The Second Consort collapsed again today from her chronic illness. The entire Medical Bureau is on emergency alert.”
I furrowed my brow.
The old man in front of me was lying.
I could tell from his expression.
Though he smiled kindly, the corners of his eyes didn’t move at all.
His pupils kept drifting toward the upper left as he spoke.
Classic signs of a liar.
But why?
The important question was why he was lying to me.
“Then could you at least prepare some medicine for us?”
At the request for medicine, the physician’s eyes changed.
They gleamed like a hunting dog that had just spotted its prey.
He answered with a bright smile.
“Of course, of course! Medicine must be prepared! What seems to be the problem with His Highness?”
“He has a high fever and keeps coughing. It seems like a cold.”
The physician nodded after hearing the symptoms I described.
“From what you’ve said, it does sound like a cold. I’ll write a prescription for you right away in the dispensary. Please follow me.”
The elderly physician accompanied me all the way to the dispensary.
It was located directly behind the main Medical Bureau building.
As expected of a dispensary inside the imperial palace, its scale was impressive.
Yet inside the vast space, there was only one young-looking pharmacist.
The moment the pharmacist saw the physician, he bowed his head in a hurry.
“G-Greetings, Your Grace the Imperial Physician! What brings you all the way here yourself…”
“Haha, what else? I’ve come to write a prescription.”
Imperial Physician. That meant he was the Emperor’s personal doctor.
This old man held a much higher position than I had thought.
“Here.”
The physician quickly scribbled out a prescription on the spot.
“Prepare it exactly as written.”
“Yes, understood.”
The young pharmacist politely accepted the prescription and began selecting and mixing various herbs.
While I silently watched the pharmacist’s hands, the Imperial Physician suddenly stepped into my line of sight.
“By the way.”
“I’ve worked in the palace for fourteen years, yet I don’t believe I’ve seen you before, my lady. You must be newly arrived?”
“Yes.”
“If it’s not too rude, may I ask your name?”
Instead of answering, I simply stared at the Imperial Physician.
He gave an awkward, embarrassed laugh.
“Ah, how rude of me. I should have introduced myself first. I am Sas Zail, Director of the Medical Bureau.”
Sas Zail. Apparent age: seventies. Position: Imperial Physician. Director of the Medical Bureau.
A name that feels like it doesn’t belong in a place like this.
I recalled his profile in my mind and opened my mouth.
“It’s an honor. I never imagined I would meet Count Zail here.”
“Oh? You know who I am?”
Of course I did.
I had taken several requests from the Zail Count family before I died.
I smiled sweetly at the surprised-looking Sas Zail.
“I’ve heard you frequently volunteer medical services at orphanages and temples that can’t afford proper care. The rumors say you are a man of great benevolence.”
I smiled sweetly at the surprised-looking Sas Zail.
“And that you and your wife are known throughout high society as a perfect loving couple.”
At my words, Sas’s face crumpled slightly.
“Haha, a perfect loving couple? How embarrassing. We simply get along as well as any other married pair.”
He forced an uncomfortable smile and abruptly changed the subject.
“Still, you must be having a difficult time, my lady. Working in a place like that, of all places.”
“A place like that?”
“Haha, let’s be frank. Is there anyone who doesn’t know how difficult it is to work at the Third Prince’s Palace?”
Suddenly, Sas gave a meaningful smile.
“To tell you the truth… I happen to be somewhat acquainted with the Second Consort. What do you think? Why not take this opportunity to move your workplace to the Second Consort’s Palace?”
He had moved close enough to whisper directly into my ear.
“In my opinion, a beautiful woman like you doesn’t belong in a shabby place like the Third Prince’s Palace.”
I stretched my lips into a wide, crescent-shaped smile.
Sas Zail. The lowest of the low who molests young female patients at orphanages and freely extorts poor female devotees who visit the temple’s infirmary.
A leopard cannot change its spots.
So he even lays his hands on the palace maids now?
If his jealous wife, Countess Zail, ever found out, there would be hell to pay. The man certainly had guts.
“I appreciate the offer, but—”
I lightly brushed away the physician’s hand as it tried to wrap around mine.
“I’m perfectly fine where I am.”
“Hmm, what a shame. It really was a good opportunity.”
Just as Sas was about to spout more nonsense, the pharmacist interrupted.
“Um, the medicine is ready.”
The pharmacist slipped between us and held out a small medicine bottle.
The liquid inside the clear glass vial was a vivid yellow.
“Ahem! How unfortunate. Since the lady has declined, I won’t press the matter further.”
Sas turned his head with an awkward expression.
“You may return now. I’m quite busy, you see.”
The Imperial Physician jerked his chin with an arrogant attitude completely different from before.
As if to say he had no more business with the likes of me.
But I had no intention of leaving just because he wanted me to.
There had been something bothering me since earlier.
And conveniently, a perfect tool was sitting on the reception desk.
I picked up the pen he had used to write the prescription.
It was a rather sharp-tipped fountain pen.