“Please come again!”
Dimitris escorted Elise all the way to the door. He was so deferential that even Regina, waiting outside, was taken aback.
“Who was that Miss?”
“He says he’s the owner.”
“Ah, he must be so respectful since Miss is His Highness Karan’s partner.”
Elise smiled awkwardly. Objectively, there didn’t seem to be a better reason, but somehow it felt like there was another cause.
“Was your business successful?”
As soon as they sat facing each other in the carriage, Regina asked.
“Very successful.”
Overwhelmingly so. Elise had borrowed a large sum without any collateral at the minuscule interest rate of 0.00001% – a figure she didn’t even know existed in this world.
And it was a much greater amount than Elise expected. So much so that the carriage felt weighed down.
The grumbling complaints of the coachman about the carriage not moving well could be heard.
After rattling along for a while, the carriage stopped in front of a shabby inn.
“I’ll go check if he’s inside.”
Regina dashed off as soon as her feet hit the ground. Shortly after, she gestured from the window.
Elise told the coachman to wait and went inside the inn.
The dining area on the first floor was crowded with people eating an early lunch. To avoid their stares, Elise pulled her hood down lower.
Perhaps it was because of the robe commonly worn by Tetris women that she didn’t feel the curious stares like the nobles at the palace usually sent her way.
“Welcome, lunch? Drinks?”
The innkeeper greeted her in a friendly manner.
“I’ve come to meet someone.”
“Who?”
“I just told you!”
Regina wedged herself between the innkeeper and Elise.
“Ah, the doctor.”
Remembering the explanation from before, the innkeeper stepped aside.
“That doctor is truly amazing. If you’ve come for treatment, you’ve made the right choice. His skills are astounding.”
The innkeeper lavishly praises Leber.
Even though she had told him to rest, it seemed he had still been busily treating people here too. Typical Leber.
Elise climbed the stairs briskly. Leber’s room was the most expensive, located on the 4th floor.
“Leber, Lady Elise is here!”
Regina knocked halfheartedly and opened the door.
“Ah, I said just 10 more minutes, 10 minutes!”
Leber appeared flustered, one side of his shirt still unbuttoned. His disheveled hair and mismatched socks indicated Regina had likely caught him just getting up.
“Too early for a genius doctor to be awake, it seems.”
Leber froze stiffly.
“A joke…right?”
“Yes, a joke.”
Phew. Leber exhaled deeply.
“Why? Didn’t sound like one.”
“No. With that deadpan expression, I thought you were admonishing me for being lazy.”
Elise felt her own face. Her attempt at lighthearted banter to put Leber at ease seemed to have the opposite effect.
‘Is it my facial expression?’
Maybe she should try smiling more brightly.
But that felt rather awkward too.
“Just have a seat and wait for a bit. It’s been a while, so I should at least look presentable when I greet you.”
“I’ve already seen it all.”
Leber, who was heading to the bathroom, stopped in his tracks. He turned back to look at Elise.
“Please tell me that was a joke too.”
“Sorry, this is the truth, Leber.”
So she can joke but not lie, is that it? Leber covered his face and dashed into the bathroom.
Elise looked around Leber’s room. It was clear why he had slept in late. His research was scattered all over the desk.
“My apologies, if you had notified me you were coming, I would have woken up earlier.”
Leber reappeared looking neat and tidy. Elise raised her head from examining his documents.
“There are monsters with organs similar to humans’?”
In her hand was some kind of note. Leber’s eyes widened as he rushed over and snatched the note from her grasp.
It was just a collection of rumors circulating among the Tetris people. Leber was very interested in treating human diseases through organ transplants. There was a story behind it, but others would just think he was crazy if they heard it without context. Elise already knew, but Leber still worried about appearing like someone chasing baseless rumors, even to her.
“Whatever it is, investigate it thoroughly, Leber. And if you need anything, procure it with money.”
“You…think it’s plausible?”
“Of course.”
“It doesn’t sound utterly ridiculous?”
“Hmm, let me make a suggestion. Listen, and tell me if it still sounds ridiculous to you too.”
Leber nodded. Elise extended her hand to Regina, who rummaged through a small handbag and took out about six vials.
“Did you bring ink or something?”
Leber turned one of the vials this way and that as he received it. The jet-black liquid inside looked just like writing ink.
“It’s an ingredient for a hair regrowth treatment.”
“Hair regrowth?”
“Yes. The bodily fluids of a furry monster.”
“Huh??”
Too stunned, Leber flailed his arms sending the vial soaring high.
“Leber! That’s precious!”
Hearing Regina’s words, Leber managed to catch it just before it hit the floor. Though he had to dive face-first in the process.
“Ow, you could have warned me sooner.”
Leber got up, rubbing his stinging cheek. Fortunately, he didn’t hit too hard and avoided serious injury.
“Well, Leber? Do you believe me now?”
Leber froze, peering into the jet-black vial. No matter how he looked, it just seemed like ordinary black ink.
And a hair regrowth treatment?
The saying that there was no cure for baldness wasn’t just an idle rumor.
As much time and money had been poured into researching a cure for baldness as the wig business had rapidly advanced.
Yet there were no results. Even magic couldn’t cure hair loss.
But she’s saying this could regrow hair?
If he could just develop it, he would receive praises rivaling a revolution. His name would go down in the annals of medical history.
After contemplating deeply, Leber looked up.
“I believe you.”
Elise smiled faintly.
“I won’t ask for the reason, since it would be the same as me trusting you, Leber. Now, there is something I need you to do. The truth is, I only know that this furry monster’s fluid can create a hair regrowth treatment, but I don’t know how to formulate it into medicine people can ingest. I want you to research that.”
“Hmm…if it’s not a matter of compounding existing drugs, but developing an entirely new medicine, the experiments will be quite challenging. In this environment…”
“It would be difficult, right? You’d need a research lab, a clinic to open, research assistants…it would require an enormous amount of money, wouldn’t it?”
Leber forced the corners of his lips upward. As much as he wanted to help Elise, it was impossible in these conditions.
“Yes, that’s right.”
“How much would you need?”
“Pardon?”
“Would 200 gold pieces be enough?”
In Tetris, where prices were cheaper than Bedrokka, 200 gold could buy a whole house with four rooms and have money left over.
“Ample…”
“But probably not enough for the research too, right? I’ll give you 300 gold pieces.”
“Wh-what? Three hundred?”
The amount of money Leber might never earn in his lifetime, Elise was ready to hand over immediately.
“Not a joke this time either, Leber. I’ve prepared it, so develop it as quickly as possible in return.”
“But Elise, you’ll go broke at this rate! You’re just throwing away money.”
Leber liked Elise’s refreshingly straightforward way of handling things, but this time he wanted to dissuade her.
It wasn’t a small amount, and she was investing that large sum into an unproven medicine?
“I’m not throwing it away. You said you trust me, Leber. Trust me again this time. I can recoup 300 gold pieces easily.”
Elise’s tone was brimming with confidence. Regina offered the remaining vials to Leber. He hesitated, then tightly closed his eyes and accepted them all.
“I’ll leave the money here. It would be good for Leber to look around for a suitable place to live and work from now on. Perhaps even find a suitable estate and staff. Do you have anyone you can rely on for help?”
“Yes, I do. I’ve gained some people who are like brothers and sisters. They’re the ones who brought all of those.”
Leber gestured to a corner of the room piled high with quality furs and enough preserved crops to last through winter.
Elise easily deduced how Leber had received such precious gifts.
‘Instead of payment for treatment.’
Leber was a doctor through and through. Even during this brief respite, he was constantly seeing patients.
‘I really chose well.’
Feeling a sense of satisfaction she hadn’t in a long time, Elise returned to the palace.
****
Besides the investment in Leber, Elise still had 200 gold pieces remaining. She intended to spend every single piece on her engagement ceremony.
Combined with the funds provided by the palace, it wouldn’t be lavish, but would suffice for an ordinary engagement ceremony.
‘What decorations should I use? And who should I invite?’
Instead of getting off in front of Karan’s palace, Elise chose to get off at the central garden to ponder such details while taking a stroll to finalize her ceremony plans.
As she was walking and mapping it out,
“You wretched thief! Bring me my bracelet right now!”
“I didn’t take it, really! Aaah!”
“So if you didn’t take it, I’m the liar? You crazy or what? Maybe I should cut off your wrist to get you to come to your senses, huh? Someone bring me a knife!”
The violent shouting pierced through Elise’s thoughts.
