105 – Regarding Incurable Diseases -2-
During the time he was away from the empire, Kyle poured a lot of effort into healing Olivia.
Even in a time so hectic that having two bodies is not enough to cover, Kyle couldn’t admit the fact that his own brother couldn’t walk. No matter how much he despised his brother, he, Oliver, the sibling who almost crumbled the prestigious Desmont family due to one wrong choice, remained the person Kyle cherished the most in the world—a delicate brother who, without someone’s help, would be confined to a narrow room for the rest of his life.
He had talked to the renowned doctors known as “Names” within the Empire and encountered wandering shamans outside the Imperial borders, discussing Olivia’s illness.
“My brother used black magic.”
It failed, and the circuits of his lower body burned, rendering his legs motionless. When it came to hearing the term ‘black magic,’ half the doctors would flee, while the other half would listen for a substantial sum. Though they were Names in their respective medical fields, none could provide the desired answer.
Encounters with a man referred to as the ‘god’ and a female shaman known as the ‘hand of the spirit in the realm of shadows’ didn’t change the inevitable conclusion—there was no cure.
A year ago, showing the medical records from Olivia’s collapse, an obscure shaman from the realm of shadows sighed and said, “There’s no solution.”
“What if you take another look? I’ll keep it strictly confidential. Just tell me how to fix it.”
“What confidentiality? I work in the realm of shadows; I don’t care about that. And this…”
The shaman pointed to a part of the medical records.
[Magic Circuit Damage / Lower Nerve Damage by Black Magic / Lower Body Paralysis / Possesses a small amount of dark magic]
“There’s no solution. If you go to another doctor, they’ll say the same, wanting to make you walk. If you want my advice…”
The shaman mumbled faintly.
“There’s no solution other than using black magic.”
Kyle had given up.
The reason for visiting the hospital today was merely a formality.
It was the wind of Father.
I had no expectation of receiving a positive response, only meaningless steps to alleviate Mother’s worries.
Kyle’s hope was just a tiny dot that couldn’t be seen.
Father must have felt the same way.
Of course, he and Mother made countless efforts to cure Olivia’s illness.
We simply went to the hospital to find solace in our hearts.
And then.
We heard words we never expected.
– The test results came out, but…
– Why is that? Has it gotten worse?
– No. Quite the opposite.
The moment the spark of hope ignited was when the triangular hammer with pink rubber was swung.
They called it a reflex test.
From Noble mtl dot com
The result expected from a regular person when their knee is tapped with a pink hammer is a slight jump.
On the contrary, it was expected that Olivia’s knee would not move, but today there was a small movement in her leg, defying everyone’s expectations.
-Twitch.
It was a very small movement.
A slight movement that could be mistaken for the tremor caused by tapping the knee with a hammer. However, the doctor and Father, with their extensive medical experience, immediately realized that Olivia’s movement did not arise from such an amusing reason.
After that, many tests were conducted.
We were able to find hope that Olivia’s health was improving.
The doctor said,
– This is just my opinion, but I think the princess may be able to walk within 3 years if she progresses as quickly as she is now.
-…
– Her senses are returning, and her broken nerves seem to be gradually healing… It’s like a miracle, there’s no other way to describe it.
They had heard many good news about the success of their business, reaching new heights, but it had been a long time since they had been so excited that they clenched their fists like today.
It felt even better than hearing the news of a business deal that had taken a long time to finalize.
However.
Kyle couldn’t smile.
Because he knew he would never get better.
The time he had invested.
The money he had poured to gather information.
And even the countless times he had heard the words “give up.”
Kyle knew that it wouldn’t be something that would happen with just a small hope of a miracle. He couldn’t smile.
No.
There must be a reason.
Kyle clenched his fists while looking at the face of the red-headed housekeeper standing in front of him.
Kyle said,
“Let’s talk.”
Ricardo looked suspicious.
Kyle and I took a seat on a bench in the park, a little distance away from the mansion.
Sitting alone on a bench with a man wasn’t particularly welcoming, but thinking that the conversation with Kyle wasn’t so bad for once, I suggested finding a cafe open at this late hour.
“Rather than sitting out here in the cold, how about continuing our conversation at a cafe?”
“I’m not a fan of going to cafes with guys.”
“…I see.”
Kyle, with whom I shared a connection, casually brushed off the idea of opening his wallet.
The image of two men sitting on a bench seemed stranger as time went by, but I decided not to mention it.
“Phew… well, city life is bearable.”
“Yes. Thanks to you, I’m comfortably getting by. I could almost live like a leech.”
“Haha… that’s fortunate.”
I looked at Kyle, who was smiling faintly.
It was an unreadable expression.
He seemed like he might say something heavy, yet he was smiling amiably, making it impossible to predict his words.
It was about the young lady, he had mentioned.
*gulp*
I couldn’t help but smile anxiously, wondering if some accident had befallen the young lady while I was away.
Kyle wasn’t someone who would wait for me for trivial reasons.
Kyle was someone who knew how to value time. His success in business was a testament to his careful use of time.
For Kyle to spend time with me meant it wasn’t a simple request or a casual reason.
Knowing about Kyle, who cherished time, I cut to the chase without unnecessary preamble and asked.
“So, what would you like to tell me? You mentioned it’s a story about a lady. I can’t guess, that’s why I’m asking.”
“Hmm…”
Kyle looked up and gazed at the moon in the night sky.
He, who usually didn’t fit the sentimental atmosphere, seemed to be filled with worry as he stared at the moon today.
Kyle struggled to open his mouth. The white breath that escaped his lips disappeared into the cold winter air.
“I heard something strange at the hospital today.”
“…At the hospital, you say?”
Kyle silently narrated his experience at the hospital.
“Olivia said she might be able to walk.”
“What?! Really?”
“That’s exactly what I heard. She said she could walk within three years at best.”
“…That’s a miracle.”
Kyle looked at me suspiciously, his bewildered expression not matching his expected reaction. He tilted his head and tapped his forehead with his hand.
“Was my acting not convincing enough?”
I observed Kyle’s reaction while looking at my right hand, which had been using the power of rehabilitation.
I had been anticipating this moment since gaining the ability of rehabilitation, so I had pretended to be surprised as much as possible, but I wondered if there had been room for doubt in my performance.
“Hmm…”
Kyle seemed to have not noticed anything.
I spoke with a trembling voice, trying not to raise Kyle’s suspicions. I wanted to keep the ability of rehabilitation a secret.
I couldn’t hide the penalties.
The blood oozing from my mouth was unbearable even with all my mental strength.
So I pretended.
In a trembling voice, I spoke calmly.
“It’s a miracle…”
“A miracle…?”
“Yes.”
Kyle let out a small bitter laugh.
“I don’t really understand.”
Kyle spoke with a heavy voice.
“Ricardo, you may not know, but I have met many people to heal Olivia.”
“All the doctors said the same.”
“They say the aftereffects of failed black magic cannot be cured.”
Kyle glared at me with a confident gaze, like a wild lion’s eyes.
“Some doctors said that. But there is a way to cure Olivia.”
Kyle asked, looking into my eyes while I clenched my teeth.
“Do you know what it is?”
I clenched my teeth.
Kyle let out a bitter laugh at my reaction.
“It was a simple method. A very simple method.”
“It was a foolish treatment method that suggested using black magic the same way.”
The atmosphere grew dark.
I could sense the reason why Kyle called me. Ignoring him while pretending not to know such a hint would be foolish.
Nevertheless, I avoided giving Kyle an answer.
“What a foolish way.”
“Yeah, it’s a foolish way.”
Kyle nodded his head and spoke to me. His gaze under the moonlight was intense.
“Stop doing foolish things.”
“…”
“I’m satisfied as long as Olivia is not dead.”
I replied to Kyle with a bitter smile.
“I don’t understand what you’re saying.”
“Is that so…”
Kyle said while looking at the brightly lit mansion.
“Come on. Olivia is waiting.”
“She hasn’t slept yet because she wants to brag to you.”
Kyle’s eyes were filled with bitterness.
***
After returning to the mansion.
The young lady was smiling brightly.
“Ricardo!”
The young lady handed me a small piece of paper. Having heard the contents from Kyle, I smiled and asked her,
“Why would you do that?”
The young lady smiled like a surprised girl and said,
“I can walk again!”
Looking at her smile, I thought,
I’ll definitely make her better.
I smiled back and said,
“That’s great.”
yeahh, Kyle realized it