Chapter 16

The first to break the silence was Maxim.

“He is a verified physician. He has worked for the Adeloff ducal house for the past five years. Miles Eloise. Before working for the Adeloff house, he trained under Ollen Kidel, and he also has experience working in the imperial palace for a time.”

Elena blinked as she listened to Maxim’s rapid recitation.

What was his intention?

“…May I entrust Leana to Miles?”

Maxim asked in a much softened voice.

Seeing her pale, bloodless face, he could not help it.

He had come to deliver dreams and hope, yet he felt like a villain snatching away even the candy she was eating.

That was how terrible Elena’s face looked.

“Mr. Miles, personally… for Leana? Leana is not even a member of the Adeloff ducal house.”

Hazel poked Maxim in the side.

Maxim’s eyebrows twitched.

“…She is a guest of Adeloff, so of course it is fine.”

“Ah.”

Tears poured from Elena’s eyes.

The sorrow of having searched for a doctor all day yesterday melted away like snow.

The doctor she could not obtain even by offering her entire fortune—Maxim had brought him without a care.

And Miles, of all people.

Elena had heard of him.

In the past, in order to treat Leana’s illness, she had looked into every physician in the empire.

She had searched newspaper articles and scoured academic papers.

Having practically lived in the library, she had come across the name of Miles, who had written countless papers, at least once.

Moreover, the doctors in Rebunto had given Miles a thumbs-up.

They said he was a recognized authority even among physicians.

There was no way to tell that from his clumsy appearance in glasses.

Elena nodded vigorously.

“Thank you… Thank you so much.”

As Elena stepped back, sniffling, Miles sat before Leana.

Leana’s small face, having been unconscious all day, was covered in sweat.

Miles examined Leana and asked Elena several questions.

Elena answered as faithfully as she could within her knowledge.

“…I have also examined the medicinal herbs Leana has been taking. Lady Hazel provided them to me.”

“Yes, yes.”

“But some of the herbs… did not suit Leana’s constitution. Moreover, there were excessively expensive ingredients mixed in.”

Miles checked Elena’s complexion.

Her face changed color with every word he spoke, which was no ordinary matter.

“W-what do you mean by that?”

“You mean to say that some of the ingredients may have been worsening Leana’s condition?”

Maxim cut to the core of the matter.

Couldn’t he have said it more gently?

Hazel shot Maxim a look.

“That is correct, Your Grace. With the ingredients in this, it is difficult to expect any improvement in Leana’s condition.”

“And the excessively expensive ingredient?”

“That merely serves to fortify the body. It is an herb often used for the elderly, and has little effect on a young child.”

Maxim asked Elena in a voice tinged with a sigh.

“Who prescribed this medicine?”

“A man named Derrick in Rebunto…”

“And who introduced you to him?”

“My mother. My mother brought him.”

Elena muttered, staggering.

The moment they arrived in Rebunto five years ago, Leana’s fever had begun to rise.

Cecile insisted they abandon the baby, and Elena clung to her, weeping.

She wanted to save the child no matter what.

[I’ll do everything. I’ll earn money and care for the baby too… So please don’t!]

The doctor Cecile brought afterward was that man.

Elena pressed her dizzy head.

According to Cecile, no doctor would treat a young child for that amount of money.

So she had never thought to look for another doctor.

They had been giving her the wrong medicine?

“Then does that mean Leana can be cured?”

“…If there is one thing that doctor did right, it was the diagnosis. It is true that this child suffers from a rare disease. She will have to take medicine for the rest of her life.”

“B-but that means she can live, doesn’t it? Right?”

Elena asked in a desperate voice.

Tears welled in Elena’s eyes as she clasped her hands together.

“…”

Miles silently wiped his glasses.

She could live, yes.

But was that truly the life this child would want?

That, he did not know.

There must not be a single day without medicine, and her diet would have to be controlled for life.

She must not exert herself or run, and she would enjoy less than half of what others did.

She would not be able to have a social life, so romance, love, friendship, quarrels—most of the emotions a human being could experience in life—she would not know.

Miles kept his words to himself.

Elena swallowed.

She was the one who had always found a path even in darkness.

That was the same this time.

Elena wiped her tears bravely.

“Still, that means with medicine she can live a long, long time. That is enough for me. What kind of medicine should I give her?”

Miles wrote out a new prescription.

“If you go to the dawn herb market, you will be able to find these. I will be back shortly, Lady Hazel.”

“There will be an Adeloff carriage waiting outside. Take it.”

“Yes.”

Elena answered bravely and ran down the corridor.

The moment her footsteps faded, Maxim let out a sigh.

“Do you have the medicine I take?”

“I brought it just in case.”

“Give it to me.”

Maxim stared at the medicine bottle placed on his palm.

Living with medicine for life—was that not similar for Maxim himself and for Leana?

The world Maxim had lived in…

Still, it was bearable.

Maxim was not happy, but seeing him work, eat, and socialize as usual made the people who loved him happy.

His parents, Hazel, and his brother.

That alone was enough for Maxim.

Maxim, about to leave the room, turned back and spoke in a voice tinged with a sigh.

“…Even if one lives not because one wants to but because one cannot die, it is still all right.”

“Pardon?”

Miles stared at Maxim in surprise.

“If you see Elena next time, tell her that. That even so, Leana’s life will be bearable. If Elena can be happy because Leana is alive, then.”

“…Ah.”

Miles, understanding what he meant, smiled awkwardly.

Hazel gazed at Maxim with sunken eyes.

Maxim’s solid back looked very small.

Hazel clicked her tongue and spoke.

“You still cannot sleep?”

“…That is correct. At least with sleeping pills he manages to sleep, but…”

“He has nightmares.”

Empress Liena’s deep worry and concern made sense.

“Still, he does not have seizures like before, or…”

Hazel swallowed the words she could barely bring herself to say.

Miles, meeting her eyes, shook his head firmly.

“There has not been a single instance since then.”

“That is a relief.”

Hazel wrapped her robe around herself.

For some reason, this warm room felt cold.

That was probably because her heart right now was colder than anything.

Hazel let out a long sigh and asked Miles another question.

“…I intend to show Leana to your master. Is there truly no hope for this child?”

Miles turned his head and gazed at the child’s face, deep in a difficult sleep.

“I do not know the name of the child’s illness either. It is one of the diseases still under research, unreported in academic circles. If someone were to define this illness precisely, their name would be attached to it. I do not know what my master will say.”

“Does Mr. Ollen know about this illness?”

“He has been fighting it for a very long time…”

Miles smiled bitterly.

There was a reason he had been startled the moment he examined Leana.

The illness Leana suffered from was…

“I understand that my master’s eldest daughter also died of this illness in her childhood.”

Hazel’s eyes flew wide open.

“Since that day, my master has continued to fight this illness. If there is anyone in the empire who knows it best, that too would be my master.”

“…I see.”

It meant there would be some degree of efficacy.

Hazel gazed at Leana’s small face.

She had not noticed when the child was laughing so brightly, but illness was written all over her face.

‘For the sake of your sister, who is burning with worry, you must wake up, child.’

Hazel stroked Leana’s forehead.

The hot heat against her palm made her heart ache.

“Just in case, examine Maxim once more before you go.”

“Yes, madam.”

Truly, they were all people who demanded care and attention.

Hazel kissed Leana’s forehead.

Praying that this child’s dreams right now would be sweet flower paths.