episode_0085

Episode 85. The Curse of the Cerulean Family (2)

****

I don’t really like dealing with high-ranking nobles. To be honest, most of them are just idiots. Even when I was in the imperial court, there were many instances where such people bothered me.

The prince said several times that ‘other nobles wanted to see you’, but I ended up going out once or twice. Most of them were strange people who told me to come and go, even though I wasn’t sick and was busy.

That’s what I usually thought.

However, I was somewhat moved by Duchess Ceruleus’s words that her three children were sick. I was also curious about what was going on.

“I’ll give you as much money as you want, so please come to the Duke’s residence and get some treatment.”

If there was only one person, I wouldn’t have gone to the hospital. But since there were three patients, I said I would go.

“How far is the Academy?”

“It takes half a day.”

I nodded.

“Okay. Let’s make an appointment and go see the doctor.”

“Thank you… … .”

Duchess Ceruleus sighed in relief and covered her face with her fan. She seemed quite relieved just by hearing that I was coming.

I didn’t really want to go, but in the end, curiosity and pity in my head won out. What kind of illness could it be that made this woman’s three children sick?

And. Are you crazy? Are you having a seizure?

There are several possibilities. It could be a neurological or mental illness, or there could be something toxic in the environment.

The first thing that comes to mind is schizophrenia. If it is a genetic disease, it is possible for the whole family to get it. It is a strange case, but it is not impossible.

It could be another genetic disease, or if we really want to talk about an infectious disease, it could be meningococcus. Although the possibility of it being meningococcus seems very slim.

It’s true that we should suspect an infectious disease because the whole family got sick. I just can’t think of any infectious diseases that fit the criteria.

But since it was a genetic disease, it was likely known for a long time, so it was difficult to say for sure. What on earth was the situation?

There may be environmental toxins.

It seems more likely that the disease is caused by the environment rather than genetics. Maybe something changed in the drinking water. Maybe some strange mold grew in the basement and caused the problem.

Most things you can only find out after you go there.

No matter how much I thought about it, I couldn’t come up with a clear answer. Duchess Ceruleus looked at me as I pondered. As if she was evaluating me.

After checking the schedule, I opened my mouth again.

“Then. I’ll see you at the Cerulis Duchy in the sand..”

“Please save the children.”

“I will do my best.”

I wanted to promise that everything would be okay, but I couldn’t promise anything until I saw it. Many people’s lives and fortunes could be at stake based on what I said.

****

One person had a seizure, one was crazy, and one was bedridden. Was it Wilson’s disease?

It could be familial Parkinson’s or early-onset dementia. Of course, just hearing this explanation, there were many things that didn’t seem right to say it was Parkinson’s.

Since familial Parkinson’s disease has so many unique symptoms, I couldn’t have not mentioned it. I think you’ll have to get tested to find out.

The Duchess of Ceruleus left my examination room. What on earth could be the pain?

Istina looked at the patient’s guardian leaving the examination room with a look of wonder.

“Who is that person?”

“Duchess Ceruleus. I heard all three of her children are sick. Please come see her.”

“Oh, you decided to go?”

“I have to go and see what kind of disease it is.”

I nodded.

This is a job that requires you to be somewhat cool-headed. Let’s say you’re on duty at the emergency room at dawn… … There have been several instances where you have to report a death and then return to work within five minutes.

still.

It was not easy to imagine how the parents felt as their three children died.

I’m not the type of person who can ignore such a request. I’d like to solve it in one day, but it might take longer.

“Istina. Are you coming with me?”

“Oh, yes. I’ll go too.”

Istina took out her notebook and wrote something down. Perhaps she had added something to her schedule?

“Then get ready. As soon as the schedule is adjusted, we will depart for the Duke of Ceruleus.”

Istina nodded. Come to think of it, I also need to prepare a bit. I also need to re-post the lab’s schedule.

****

anyway.

As I entered the lab after making an appointment to see Wang Jin, Mint was waiting for me, sitting on the sofa in the classroom.

Mint was flipping through the papers with a blank expression, but when she saw me open the door and come in, she beamed.

“Oh, you’re here?”

“Hello, Princess.”

“What were you doing, why are you here now?”

“Someone special came today. I have a plan to see the king. I have to go out for a day or two.”

“I see.”

Mint fiddled with her hair for a moment and then tapped the seat next to her. I sat down next to Mint without saying anything. Mint put down the paper she was looking at and smiled brightly.

“I thought someone collapsed at the hospital.”

“Then it might have been even later.”

“Why don’t you go to the hospital? The hospital is here. If you’re sick, you should come to the hospital. Why should you tell a busy person to come and go?”

“According to the rules, I wouldn’t have gone either, but the guardian I saw earlier begged me. He said that three of his children were sick. I’m a little discouraged. I’m going to go because they said there are three patients,”

“The teacher is too kind, that’s the problem.”

“This is the first time I’ve heard that in my life.”

There have been many people who have expressed their gratitude in my life, but this is the first time I’ve heard someone say that I’m too kind. I don’t even think of myself as such.

“Not always, though.”

Mint surprised me by hugging me. She called me to sit next to her… … .

“Did you have a hard time?”

“No? Not really.”

“Then why-”

“You talk too much, sir.”

I had no words to say, so I closed my mouth. Mint grabbed one of my hands and interlocked our fingers. After a while, she opened her mouth.

“How long does the business trip take?”

“I don’t know exactly. I’m aiming to get back within a day or two, but it might not be a problem that can be solved quickly.”

“I want to go too.”

“Well, I can’t think of an excuse for the princess to follow me. It’s just because it’s someone else’s house. I’ll be back at the academy soon.”

Mint nodded.

“Let’s play when you come back. The weather will get better.”

“Yes, that’s right.”

I answered briefly. Mint, still smiling brightly, held me tightly and rubbed her cheek against the nape of my neck. What a surprise…

I tapped Mint on the shoulder.

“How long are you going to be like this?”

“5 minutes only.”

“Okay.”

It’s good that his personality has become brighter, but his dependent nature hasn’t really changed. Lately, he’s started to cling to me like I’m raising a big dog. Can this also be considered growth?

Honestly, I don’t know.

****

The Duke of Ceruleus was closer than I thought. This time, it may have felt that way because I was riding a horse instead of a carriage.

Istina was amazed.

“This is my first time riding a horse!”

“Really?”

“There was no word at home.”

It wasn’t my first time riding one. The imperial family had horses, but they weren’t used to riding them often. Today, one of the Duke’s servants was sent to guide us.

“This way.”

And. Soon, the Cerulean Mansion came into view. It wasn’t as big as I thought. I thought this person would live in a castle like Imentia or Lapis.

It wasn’t that bad. It was a fairly old-looking mansion with impressive ivy and flowers.

“Teacher.”

“Yes.”

“Teacher, how sick do you think the Cerulean family members look? If you work at the mansion, you must have seen them often.”

The servant teacher thought about it for a moment.

The servant sent by the Duke’s household was a young man who looked only slightly older than the Academy students, although he was dressed like a butler.

“I don’t know for sure. But, it doesn’t look like they’ll be going back anytime soon. It’s just my opinion. I don’t think the disease they have is fatal.”

“Why?”

“You do all the important things.”

Should we consider it a type of mental illness?

“Are there any bruises or cuts?”

“There was none.”

It’s unusual. It’s impossible for a person with epilepsy to not have bruises or scars on their body. Normal people instinctively avoid danger, but epileptic patients don’t.

We soon passed the gates of the Duke of Ceruleus’s mansion. It was a much more beautiful sight than it had been from a distance.

First, let’s start with the pond inside the mansion fence. There were a few fish floating around. Colorful flowers were growing around the pond.

Aside from what you think is pretty, things like that can also be a cause. Could a particular pollen cause an allergic reaction and contribute to the condition?

Anyway, I arrived.

We got off the horse and dragged the reins along. The horse was tied up properly in the stable at the back of the mansion. The servant teacher went to the door.

“Okay, have a nice time. If you need anything, please let me know anytime.”

I walked into the mansion with Istina. We haven’t found anything that could be causing the illness yet. It may not be environmental.

“Watch carefully, Istina. We still don’t know what’s contributing to the symptoms, or why she’s sick. We need to find a clue.”

“Yes.”

Istina nodded. Aside from the butler who had been sent earlier, the mansion seemed to be empty. What was going on?

I looked around. There were a lot of unusual things.