Shuri and Ilena approached the healer with worried expressions on their faces. They seemed surprised by the diagnosis of “memory loss.” Ilena asked the healer sympathetically, “So, what should we do?”
Nevertheless, the healer responded with an unwavering gentle smile. Despite the fact that moments ago, the person who had hung onto Shuri’s large hand and then recoiled seemed to have a serene expression, almost like a clergyman responding to a divine calling. He answered in a voice as calm as his expression, “What can we do? We should rush to the temple immediately and offer prayers of gratitude. Regardless of whether her memory returns or not, MacKein awakening is a miracle.”
“What?”
“What?”
Despite Shuri’s expression turning fierce, the healer paid no heed and continued speaking with an incredibly holy expression.
“It might sound funny for a healer like me to say this, but I’ve always thought that MacKein needed a surgeon, not a healer. I couldn’t do anything.”
Though I agreed that MacKein was probably dead, I understood why the healer sounded so relieved when the diagnosis of memory loss was made.
One had to be careful even when dealing with patients’ families. It was surprising to hear that a surgeon was needed, and I looked at him with an astonished expression.
Shuri and Ilena also looked at the healer with incredulous expressions.
No, Shuri’s expression was beyond incredulous. If it weren’t for me watching, he would probably have torn the man apart with his bare hands with a violent look that went beyond incredulity.
Was the healer implying that Shuri’s large fist was not visible? If he were hit, wouldn’t he be the one in need of a surgeon?…
Although Claire MacKein’s recent achievements had been noted, Shuri MacKein was also a remarkable figure.
The only knight trusted by the current emperor. Though he was also known as the “Emperor’s Hound,” it was proof of the emperor’s trust in him.
He was considered capable of anything the emperor ordered. He was renowned not only for his loyalty but also for his exceptional combat skills.
He had started gaining recognition in the capital by demonstrating considerable skill in martial arts competitions for imperial knights.
Considering that the MacKein Viscount family had risen to the status of an Earl family, it was evident how talented he was.
Looking at the way he slightly furrowed his brow and muttered “Little Cherry…” with his eyes wide, one might suspect that he had a doppelganger. However, considering his imposing figure that one wouldn’t easily find in ordinary people, it seemed to fit.
In front of such a person, the healer who was mocking him seemed remarkable in a different sense.
“So, you mean Claire’s memories can’t be recovered?” he interjected.
Despite Shuri’s fierce expression, the healer, who was now cautiously moving towards the door, spoke in a calm voice.
“There isn’t a specific treatment for memory loss. All we can do is wait for the memories to return naturally. Of course, the symptoms vary from patient to patient. Memories may naturally return over time, or they may never return.”
“You mean her memories might never return?”
“Well…”
Shuri and Ilena looked deeply concerned, but the healer continued with an ecstatic expression, as if his fervor were about to burst out.
“But whether MacKein remembers or not, is it such a big problem? The important thing is that she woke up without any injuries. Isn’t that what matters? Have you seen it? Her skull was almost crushed! To regain consciousness like this after such a serious injury! If you’ve experienced such a miracle, you should rush to the temple and offer prayers of gratitude instead of worrying needlessly.”
He looked as if he had just seen the face of God. Filled with faith, he quickly grabbed his bag. He seemed ready to rush to the temple at any moment.
“Well then, I’ll be going now. May God’s grace be with you…”
Leaving with a religious greeting, he hastily departed. I watched him blankly and murmured to myself.
“That healer… he seems truly devout.”
“…”
“…”
Shuri and Ilena stared at me with expressions that clearly indicated they didn’t know how to accept the situation.
I was equally perplexed about how to handle this situation… How could I possibly come to terms with the fact that I had become someone else?
“The most memorable thing before the fire was getting lost in the palace after a long time… No, was it when the royal physician visited the pharmacy?”
To explain all of this, I need to start with how a mere commoner pharmacist like me, a prince like Ian, and the royal physician ended up meeting.
* * *
It was about two months since my grandfather and I moved from a small port city in the Montferrana Kingdom to the capital of the Carlopanian Empire.
It was a day when the rain poured like a waterfall as if there were holes in the sky. The streets, dim since morning, were deserted with no one passing by.
“On days like this, there won’t be anyone coming to buy medicine, so should we tidy up the herbs weak to moisture?” I said to my grandfather.
Before I finished speaking, someone banged on the door forcefully. Worried that something serious had happened, we hurriedly opened it, and an elderly man with a black umbrella entered with a serious expression, threateningly saying to my grandfather, “I have somewhere to go, so follow me quietly.”
My grandfather turned his puzzled face toward the direction where the stranger’s voice came from.
I blocked his path and asked, “What’s going on? Why are you trying to take my grandfather away like this out of the blue?”
“It’s not something a child should intervene in.”
I was ten years old at the time. Looking back now, I was undoubtedly young, but I always got annoyed when treated like a child.
“I’m not a child; I’m an apprentice pharmacist and the owner of this place. So, please explain to me why you suddenly barged in here to take my grandfather away.”
“There’s a patient, a very important one.”
My eyes widened at the old man’s words. It seemed that he understood that the healer had no idea about the precise diagnosis of the patient.
I wondered if those healers who couldn’t find out the exact diagnosis of “that person” were still alive now…
“If that’s the case, then I should go too.”
“There’s no time for that.”
He pushed me aside with annoyance, saying, “I know.”
He answered slowly as if he realized that my grandfather was blind.
I wondered why he had come all the way here, knowing that my grandfather was blind.
Perhaps he had come to find someone who could keep this secret and even ensure that it was kept.
A blind pharmacist. Moreover, a foreigner who had arrived not long ago. Wasn’t it easier to deal with them after the job was done? That’s why he came here to find someone who could keep or even ensure the secret.
“It’s not about needing a blind old man; it’s about needing a pharmacist who can treat ‘that person’ if you’re really planning to treat them.”
The old healer nodded with a displeased expression.
“Hmm… Can’t help it. Alright, let’s go.”
