Chapter 26
I swallowed hard.
What was he going to say? That he’d kill me?
Even though I knew that couldn’t be true, I was nervous anyway.
Cedric slowly reached out and tucked my messy hair behind my ear.
My heart started pounding.
“It’s something I can solve with persuasion.”
“Oh my god.”
“I’m confident.”
Cedric smiled seductively.
And it worked—perfectly.
Later that night
After meeting Cedric in the garden last night, I couldn’t sleep at all.
Maybe Cedric was actually a spy sent by Tinte. Maybe the plan was to make me so tired that I would fail the test.
‘But if everyone’s suspicious of me, is it okay for him to tell me so much?’
‘Who knows? Maybe it is.’
Cedric was so good at playing it cool that I couldn’t help but laugh with him.
After that, the mood lightened. We just chatted and finished our walk. But ever since then, I hadn’t been able to focus.
Maybe I was still distracted by that little beauty mark near his eye…
It was kind of funny. I was talking and laughing like I had no worries at all. Like I was just a normal person living a normal life.
Maybe it was because of the change of environment and having people around me again. For the last few days, I’d really felt like I was living like a regular person.
Even though a part of me was still lost in that old, lonely cabin in my dreams.
‘Speaking of which, I haven’t heard anything from the kingdom yet.’
Of course, even if something did happen, I wouldn’t have any way of knowing.
I pushed that thought away. It wasn’t the time to worry about that.
I rolled the empty potion bottle in my hand and slowly calmed down.
After yawning over and over again, Harun—who had been quietly guiding me—finally asked:
“Did you not sleep well?”
I nodded.
But I bet Cedric slept just fine.
Even in my dazed state, I had managed to slip a special potion into Cedric’s pocket the night before. One I had prepared earlier.
If at least one of us slept well, then I guess that was enough…
“Lord Harun.”
“Yes?”
“Why does the Grand Duke—no, I mean, why does Cedric look like that?”
His face is too handsome. Now I get why people say some looks could ruin a country.
I had to try really hard to get Cedric’s image out of my head. If I failed this test, it would definitely be his fault.
Surprisingly, Harun answered seriously.
“You’re right. If he had stayed in the empire, he would’ve taken over high society and been called ‘Flower of the Year.’”
“What kind of awful nickname is that?”
“That’s actually the most honorable title in the empire’s social scene. Weird, right?”
Harun joked playfully, admitting the name sounded silly.
“I heard he used to be the Crown Prince of the Empire.”
“He was. But not anymore. He gave up his right to the throne.”
Oh wow.
But that didn’t matter to me. What mattered was whether he was willing to help me, not his title.
So I changed the subject naturally.
“Where are we going now?”
We’d been walking for a while, so I glanced around.
We were in the village just in front of the Grand Duke’s castle. The one we had passed through on the way to Rueta a few days ago.
This village wasn’t exactly luxurious, but it had more proper buildings than others I’d seen.
“We’re going to Master Tinte’s house.”
“Me? Why?”
We weren’t close enough to be visiting his house together…
I frowned at the idea, and Harun just laughed like it was funny. Master and servant—alike but not.
“You’ll take the test there.”
“…There? I thought the third test was a real treatment. Did he bring a patient into his house?”
“Something like that.”
Something like that? Either it is or it isn’t.
Soon, we arrived at Tinte’s house—a two-story building with a blue roof.
When we knocked, Tinte greeted us. The house was quiet, like he had only hired a few servants.
“Come in. His Highness will be here soon too.”
Tinte was calm as always. Just as he said, Cedric entered the house shortly after.
“Your Highness. Is it okay for you to keep leaving your work like this?”
“It’s important.”
“You’re very dedicated…”
He acted like nothing happened the night before. But when our eyes met, he smiled sweetly at me.
Any focus I had disappeared instantly.
Still, it was kind of amazing that Cedric was personally attending every test.
He usually stayed in his office. Sometimes he showed up in the garden, but besides that, you rarely saw him. Even his meals were served in his room. He was busy.
But for this test, he hadn’t missed a single one. I didn’t know if it was out of affection for Tinte or support for me. Probably the first one?
Once everyone was gathered, Tinte led us upstairs.
“This is the final test.”
“Is the patient inside?”
Tinte quietly nodded and opened the tightly closed door.
A white curtain divided the center of a cozy room filled with furniture.
I carefully pulled back the curtain.
“Hm.”
I let out a quiet sound.
A very thin man was lying on the white bed.
Tinte followed us in and explained the patient’s condition.
“He collapsed two years ago and hasn’t regained consciousness since. He’s thirty-two. Because of poor nutrition, he’s lost a lot of weight.”
“How has he been fed?”
“With help from the temple. They released an old magic technique that allows food to be absorbed directly into the body.”
Wow, what a world…
I wondered briefly if Tinte would consider that breaking the rules of nature or not.
“This is the third test. If you can identify the cause of his illness and find a way to improve his condition, you’ll be appointed as the Grand Duke’s official doctor.”
“What? What about you, Master?”
Tinte chuckled and exchanged a strange glance with Cedric before replying.
“Why don’t you worry about treating him first before worrying about me?”
“You’re right.”
“Just so you know, this patient is one of the few I’ve never been able to figure out.”
I gaped.
“You want me to cure someone you couldn’t?”
“What, are you scared?”
“And I’m not allowed to use potions either!”
Tinte smirked even more annoyingly.
“That’s your problem.”
“Your Highness, don’t you think this is unfair?”
“Hm. Do your best.”
Cedric was no help at all. Birds of a feather—he was just as bad as Tinte.
I took a deep breath and approached the bed, remembering the wisdom of our ancestors.
Fine. So this is what it means to be a personal physician?
I clenched my fists with determination. If it’s come to this, then I’m definitely going to take that old man’s job.
“But you have to promise me one thing.”
“What is it?”
“If I can show even a little improvement without using a potion, then I get to treat him my way after that.”
“Well…”
“This isn’t just a test. It’s a real treatment, isn’t it?”
I’d been tested enough. Tinte had to know that too.
There’s a very sick person here. And if nothing so far has worked, then it’s time to try something different.
Calling it a test and asking me to prove myself was dishonest.
“…Alright.”
“Great.”
Finally, Tinte agreed.
Now there was only one thing left to do—check on the patient and treat him.
As I got closer, I could see the man’s condition more clearly. He was barely alive.
Condition: Sleeping. Damage from fire, damage from cold, ether backlash…
“Huh?”
Wait. Something’s not right.
I checked his condition again and gently pushed some ether into his body.
“…This is…”
His ether was all twisted and clashing with itself inside his body.
I checked his ether core right away—but it looked perfectly fine.
‘It’s not a problem with the core. Then that means…’
