BSP 61

BSP

Chapter 61

Time passed quickly, and before I knew it, it had already been over two weeks since I began working at the clinic.

Things were so hectic there that I barely even noticed the days slipping by.

“Come to think of it, my whole routine has changed.”

Before, my days had been calm—lessons and study with Aziz, then quiet hours of rest with Arin. Compared to now, those peaceful days inside the palace seemed almost unnaturally still.

After leaving that tranquil life behind and stepping outside the palace, my recent daily schedule looked like this:

I woke up early in the morning, left the palace, arrived at the clinic, and had a light breakfast before holding a morning meeting with Darkhan.

Then, in the private treatment area set aside for me, I treated patients in critical condition. Whenever there was a lull, I made rounds through the facility to check for any shortages or issues.

By late afternoon, I returned to the palace before sunset.

After a day like that, exhaustion hit me like a wave.

At first, I didn’t understand why I felt so drained—but after a few days, I figured it out.

It was because I still wasn’t handling my holy power efficiently.

“If only Aziz were here… I could at least ask him about it.”

Not that it would change anything—he wasn’t—but he was the only one I could’ve asked such a question.

As I sighed gloomily, Arin handed me a steaming cup of tea.

“It’s a tea to relieve fatigue, Lady Ishtar. It should clear your head.”

“Thank you, Arin.”

A pleasant peppermint aroma rose from the cup. As I sipped the warm tea, the heavy feeling in my chest began to ease a little.

“You’ve been pushing yourself too hard lately, haven’t you? You’re treating more than twenty patients a day, and you still have administrative work on top of that…”

“It’s fine. I get a bit tired during the day, but once I sleep soundly at night, I feel completely refreshed.”

“Ah, so that’s why you’ve been turning into a cat and passing out right after work! Sometimes even in the carriage on the way home—you worried me!”

Arin looked at me with concern, and I gave a wry smile.

Just as she said, I had been transforming into a cat more frequently these days.

The more I used my powers in human form, the sooner the transformation came.

It felt like my body had a low battery and automatically switched to cat form for “rapid recharging.”

It was nice that I’d wake up completely fine the next morning—but my biggest complaint was something else entirely.

“…Is Suleiman still busy these days?”

I asked in a small, hesitant voice. Arin gave me a troubled look.

“He must be coming to the bedroom in the mornings, since I wake up human again…”

The problem was that I’d been so deeply asleep lately that I couldn’t even remember the last time I saw his face.

On the rare nights when I wasn’t completely worn out, I told myself I’d at least stay awake long enough to greet him—but he always came home too late.

“He might think I’m being cold, just falling asleep without waiting for him.”

Humans were selfish creatures, weren’t they?

Whatever the situation, it still stung not to see him for so long.

“I heard from Brother Iblan that he’s been staying outside the governor’s mansion most of the time lately. He only returns to the palace late at night.”

“Really? I hope it’s not something dangerous.”

“I’m not sure of the details, but… I heard he’s working hard to resolve the capital crisis. The governor’s entire staff has been mobilized. Let’s just hope there’ll be good news soon.”

Hmm… “the entire staff,” she said, but one very important person was right outside this door.

I sighed quietly, hearing Iblan’s voice faintly from beyond the wall.

“At a time like this, it feels wrong for him to be stuck as my guard… Is that really okay?”

Even though the governor’s office had reduced escorts lately, Suleiman’s aide, Iblan, was still assigned to me.

It showed just how much Suleiman valued me.

“…But I can’t help worrying.”

“Pardon?”

Arin blinked at me in confusion, and I smiled faintly, though it came out more like a grimace.

“I’ll have to write a note asking him to release Iblan from my guard when I return.”

I knew Suleiman only meant to protect me.

But in times like these, his right-hand man would be far more useful at his side.

And… I’d feel more at ease that way, too.

Just as I made up my mind, there was a knock on the door.

“Lady Ishtar, it’s time for your afternoon consultations. Shall we bring in the next patient?”

“Yes, please. I’ve rested enough.”

I set aside my now-cold teacup and rose from my seat.

“Phew, I’m exhausted.”

After treating fifteen critical patients just that afternoon, I collapsed onto the cot, completely spent.

Normally, I handled about twenty cases a day, but this was more intense than usual.

“You’ve worked hard, milady! A sudden influx of emergency patients really threw us off.”

Darkhan’s voice came from behind me. The plump, middle-aged man scratched his head, looking troubled.

“There were so many trauma cases today. Did something happen?”

“Oh, yes, well… There was a knife fight in the city center, can you believe it? Thankfully, thanks to the soldiers, there were almost no civilian casualties, but…”

Startled, I shot up and grabbed his sleeve urgently.

“Who was fighting? Was anyone from the governor’s office injured?”

Darkhan flinched at my intensity, eyes widening. Before he could reply, another voice answered from the doorway.

“I can explain that.”

It was Iblan, who had entered silently as always.

Ignoring our startled looks, he spoke in his calm, measured tone.

“Today’s incident was part of an operation to root out an underground smuggling ring. The resistance was stronger than expected, and the fighting spread into the streets, but the mission ended successfully.”

“Then… was Suleiman part of the operation too?”

“Yes. He personally led from the front, minimizing casualties. There were almost no injuries among our forces. You may rest easy—Lord Suleiman is completely unharmed.”

I let out a long sigh of relief and sank into a chair.

But then a thought struck me.

“Then… some of the people I treated today might’ve been members of that organization.”

“That’s right, milady,” said Darkhan. “His Majesty ordered that all who come here be treated solely based on the severity of their condition—regardless of rank or background.”

Iblan’s expression darkened slightly.

“It may be the Sultan’s command, but to think that such scum would receive Lady Ishtar’s healing—it feels undeserved.”

“Well, orders are orders,” Darkhan sighed. “But it’s unfortunate that many civilians had their turns delayed today. I already received several complaints about—oh!”

Realizing my expression had clouded, Darkhan quickly covered his mouth.

I quietly gauged the holy energy left inside me, then clenched my fist.

“I still have enough to treat a few more. Send up only the most serious cases.”

“Lady Ishtar, you’ve already done more than enough for today. You should rest—”

“I’m fine. I’ll only handle as many as I safely can.”

Even the stoic Iblan tried to dissuade me, but my mind was made up.

In the end, I treated five more critical patients before finally leaving the clinic.

“Maybe thirty patients in one day was a bit much.”

Thankfully, I wasn’t so depleted that I turned into a cat, but I was utterly drained.

As Arin helped me into the carriage, a wave of dizziness hit me.

“Lady Ishtar! Are you all right?”

Seeing her worried face, I gave an awkward laugh and cleared my throat.