“……At this hour?”
Jacob, who normally wouldn’t question such matters, couldn’t help but ask. It was past 11 PM, nearing midnight. It was late, and there were no patients.
Understanding Jacob’s concern, Ains turned his head to look out the window. It was pitch dark outside.
It was indeed very late. If it were not urgent, he would have waited until the next day to call for Dr. Watt, but that wasn’t the case now. Ains wanted to confirm the situation immediately.
“Yes. I know it’s late, but it’s urgent.”
“Understood.”
Jacob bowed and left the study.
Ains leaned back in his chair and examined the medicine bottle. It looked like an ordinary glass bottle. The contents didn’t seem special either.
What kind of illness did Cecilia have that required her to carry such medicine?
Knock, knock.
It wasn’t long before a soft knock echoed in the quiet study. Ains, who had been looking at the bottle, raised his head and stared at the door. Soon, Jacob’s voice came from beyond the door.
“Duke, it’s Jacob. I brought Dr. Watt.”
“Come in.”
Ains exhaled lightly and instructed Jacob, who was beyond the door, to enter. As soon as Ains gave permission, the study door opened.
Dr. Watt bowed to Ains as he stepped inside.
“Good evening, Duke Graham.”
“Nice to meet you. Please, have a seat.”
Ains stood up and gestured to the sofa nearby. Dr. Watt bowed once more before sitting down in the seat Ains had indicated. Ains also took a seat on the sofa.
“It doesn’t seem like there’s any particular problem with the former Duke Graham. May I ask why you called for me?”
Dr. Watt asked directly after confirming that Ains was seated.
The reason for calling a doctor at night was usually one thing: someone was ill or injured.
However, contrary to Dr. Watt’s initial concern, he was led not to the former Duke’s room but to Ains Graham’s study. The calm atmosphere of the mansion suggested that Damon Graham’s condition hadn’t worsened.
“It’s late, but I urgently need to confirm something with you.”
Ains placed the medicine bottle he had been holding onto the table. The sound of the glass bottle hitting the table echoed.
Dr. Watt naturally shifted his gaze to the bottle.
“This is…”
“You seem to recognize it.”
As Dr. Watt widened his eyes and examined the bottle, Ains leaned back and crossed his arms. He expected to get the answers he sought from Dr. Watt.
“Of course. This is the sedative I prepared for Viscountess Marves.”
Dr. Watt, who had almost referred to Cecilia as the Duchess out of habit, corrected himself and spoke. He then reached out and carefully examined the bottle.
It was undoubtedly the sedative he had made using the leftover Tieria flower after preparing the treatment for the Trintz disease. The smell of the medicine confirmed it further when he opened the bottle.
“Why do you have this, Duke?”
“Cecilia visited the mansion during dinner. She coughed up blood. What illness does Cecilia have?”
Ains asked, tilting his head in curiosity, but Dr. Watt looked puzzled instead.
“You didn’t know?”
“What?”
“Viscountess Marves had the Trintz disease.”
“……Trintz disease?”
Seeing Ains’s reaction, Dr. Watt realized that he genuinely didn’t know about Cecilia’s illness.
Dr. Watt sighed softly.
It was unfortunate that, despite being a noble, he didn’t know about such a severe illness afflicting his former wife.
“Is it a serious illness?”
“Yes. As you know, normally, mana circulates throughout the body periodically.”
Mana was the source of power that composed nature. This force existed in the air, plants, animals, and of course, humans.
Ains, who had reached the level of a Sword Master by mastering the use of mana, was aware of this fact.
But he couldn’t understand why Dr. Watt was suddenly talking about mana.
“I know that. So what does that have to do with the Trintz disease?”
“When someone has Trintz disease, the mana begins to harden gradually, starting from the farthest parts of the body from the heart. Initially, numbness occurs in the fingertips and toes.”
Dr. Watt sighed lightly and continued his explanation.
“Then, gradually, various parts of the body start to harden. In the worst cases, the stomach may become paralyzed, preventing digestion, or the lungs may become paralyzed, making breathing impossible. Eventually, if the heart becomes paralyzed, it leads to death.”
“……”
“Viscountess Marves had this disease. I first diagnosed her half a year ago, so it probably started around then.”
“Enough.”
Ains, who had been listening to Dr. Watt, raised his left hand to his forehead.
It was quite a serious illness.
“Half a year ago?”
Ains murmured softly. Half a year was not a short time. It was hard for him to understand why Cecilia hadn’t told him about such a serious illness.
“Yes, Duke.”
“Why didn’t she tell me?”
Though he muttered in disbelief, it wasn’t something Dr. Watt could answer. Watching Ains, Dr. Watt cautiously spoke up.
“But Duke, Viscountess Marves has already taken the treatment.”
Eventually, Dr. Watt, who had been watching Ains’s reaction, spoke to him. Ains raised his head again to look at Dr. Watt at the mention of the treatment.
“The main ingredient of the treatment is the Tieria flower.”
“What flower?”
“Tieria flower.”
Since Ains also dealt with mana, he knew well what the Tieria flower was. He was also well aware of its exorbitant price.
Only then did he begin to understand Cecilia’s past actions.
Demanding money out of the blue or asking for a million gold in alimony. He couldn’t understand why she suddenly needed money, but now it seemed like he was finally getting the clues.
“If she took the treatment, shouldn’t she be cured?”
“But she can’t be considered completely cured. The impact on the body is too great…”
“I see.”
Ains frowned momentarily. The blood she coughed up during dinner was likely due to the Trintz disease.
“Then this must be the sedative.”
“Yes, that’s correct.”
“Come to think of it, can mana stones help with the illness? Cecilia was looking for mana stones.”
Ains recalled the incident at the Reflen Auction House belatedly.
Cecilia, who neither practiced magic nor used a sword, had no reason to use unprocessed mana stones. It had always been a mystery why she was searching for them.
Dr. Watt nodded as if he understood Cecilia’s actions.
“Yes. Using mana stones to release the hardening mana can alleviate the symptoms to some extent.”
After hearing Dr. Watt’s explanation, Ains sighed in frustration. Only then did he understand why Cecilia had been so desperate to obtain mana stones.
After hearing a few more things from Dr. Watt, Ains finally let him go.
It was already past midnight.
But Ains felt that he wouldn’t be able to sleep well tonight.
* * *
In the end, Rachel couldn’t find the medicine bottle.
She was sure it had been dropped during dinner, so it should have been left in the dining room. But no matter how thoroughly they searched the dining room or investigated the maids and servants who had visited, the bottle couldn’t be found.
Luckily, I had left half of the sedative with Rivet in case of an emergency. If I had kept it all with me, it would have been a disaster.
For the time being, I had no choice but to rely on the sedative Rivet had until the bottle was found. Or, as Dr. Watt had mentioned the previous day, I would have to seek the assistance of someone who could use mana.
The sedative was made from the Tieria flower, which was not only difficult to obtain but also very expensive. It was impractical to keep it in stock for an indefinite period of aftereffects. It would be better to hire someone who could use mana and receive their help.
My head throbbed from the missing bottle and the aftereffects of the Trintz disease since early in the morning.
To find someone who could use mana, I needed to meet a mage. To do that, I would have to visit the Mage Tower.
Fortunately, during my time as the Duchess of Graham, I had visited the Mage Tower a few times. Since I was acquainted with them, it would be relatively easier to make an appearance there.
I decided to visit the Mage Tower after breakfast, and I was having a simple breakfast when a maid approached Rivet and whispered something to her.
Rivet listened to the maid and then looked at her with a surprised expression.
“What’s the matter?”
Unable to contain my curiosity, I asked Rivet.
“The Duke of Graham has come to see you.”
“……Ains?”
Why did Ains suddenly come?
