Along with saying “Get out,” I pushed everyone’s backs and kindly closed the door myself.

“Don’t even think about coming near until I call for you.”

I didn’t forget to add a firm warning through the slightly opened door.

When I returned to my seat, the doctor let out a sigh of relief.

His complexion was 100 times brighter than before. Until just now, I thought he might be the patient instead of me.

“It’s finally quiet now.”

“Thank you for saving me, my lady.”

“They’re all good people. Just a bit unique.”

After diligently defending the honor of the Richter household members, I returned to our previous conversation.

“So, what’s the situation?”

“Ah, well… Clearly, there is a health issue. But strangely, it’s a bit different from a typical illness.”

“…Oh. I don’t understand at all.”

“Hmm. First, could you describe your usual symptoms in detail once more?”

“Well, I have heartburn.”

“You have heartburn…”

“Especially when I wake up in the morning, it feels like my stomach is burning. When I try to eat, I feel nauseous, and I have no appetite. I often have pain in my chest area, specifically around the solar plexus – it’s a throbbing, stabbing pain. The symptoms are particularly severe when I’m lying down.”

I rattled off the symptoms freely, as there was no one else listening.

To be honest, I felt a bit uncomfortable earlier.

While I appreciated their concern, it was embarrassing and awkward to make a public confession about my acid reflux in front of people who worried even about non-existent problems.

As I comfortably listed my symptoms, the doctor busily wrote them down.

“Based on the symptoms, it seems like you have inflammation near the stomach…”

The doctor mumbled quietly, scratching his head with the back of his pen.

“Could you give me your hand again?”

“Here you go.”

The doctor took my pulse with a concentrated expression.

The doctors in this world were different from those in the 21st century.

If I had to compare, they were closer to traditional medicine practitioners.

They say they read the body’s energy through pulse diagnosis…

“What is it? Is it still strange?”

“Yes. Well, based on the symptoms, you are indeed a patient. However, the energy flowing through your body is normal. No, it’s not just normal – it’s exceptionally healthy compared to the average person. I mean, I don’t sense any unusual energy.”

What does this mean?

I’m sick, but I’m not sick?

It was as nonsensical as a warm iced americano.

As I stared at him with a dumbfounded expression, the doctor looked back at me with an equally bewildered face.

“So… What am I? Am I sick or not?”

“Well… Um…”

Even after deep contemplation, an answer wasn’t forthcoming.

He seemed to be getting increasingly embarrassed by his own inability to explain, occasionally glancing at me nervously.

He appeared worried that I might accuse him of incompetence.

“Well, it can’t be helped.”

“Pardon?”

“It’s not your fault that I’m a warm iced americano.”

“Excuse me? Ame-what?”

“Never mind, there’s such a thing. Anyway, you’re saying you don’t have an immediate answer, right?”

“Y-yes, that’s right.”

“Then please investigate further and let me know. Still, the heartburn is real, so I’d appreciate it if you could prescribe some stomach medicine.”

“…Are you sure? Is that okay?”

“Why wouldn’t it be? If it were a terminal illness, we’d be in a hurry, but you said I’m strangely healthy, right?”

“…”

“I heard you’re the most skilled physician in the North. If you don’t know, I doubt anyone else would. Isn’t there something like a Northern Physicians Association? Maybe you could all put your heads together and discuss it.”

Why isn’t this guy answering? It’s embarrassing.

“M-my lady…!”

No, this is even more embarrassing.

The doctor called out to me with an overwhelmed expression and jumped up from his seat.

I was taken aback by his unexpectedly enthusiastic reaction.

“I’m deeply moved by your generosity. This is… a first. Throughout my career as a doctor, I’d often be grabbed by the collar if I showed even the slightest uncertainty. Of course, such incidents stopped after I gained the title of the North’s best doctor… but everyone still cursed me with their eyes, even if they didn’t say it out loud. You have no idea how miserable it’s been… *sniff*”

“Oh my, how unfortunate.”

The doctor wiped away the tears that had welled up in his eyes at my half-hearted consolation.

Please don’t cry here. It’s burdensome.

“I swear I’ll uncover the secret behind this peculiarity, no matter what. Just trust me and wait, my lady!”

“Ah, well… Sure. Good luck.”

“Yes! I’ll do my best! Then, I’ll be off to study now!”

With those words, the doctor bowed deeply and turned around without hesitation.

Wait a minute.

I hurriedly stopped him.

“What is it, my lady?”

“You need to prescribe the stomach medicine. I’m dying here with all this acid reflux and a burning throat.”

“Oh my, how careless of me. I forgot for a moment.”

…Is this really reliable?

Perhaps reading the distrust in my eyes, the doctor hastily pulled out a notebook and scribbled something.

“I’ll have it prepared and sent as soon as I return. No, I’ll deliver it personally!”

“Huh? You don’t have to go that far…”

“No! I want to give it to you in person. You’re my number one priority patient, after all!”

I wonder if it’s just my imagination that this statement sounds somewhat dangerous.

Being called a “number one priority patient” makes me feel like I have a terminal illness or something.

But anyway.

“Then, I’ll visit you in about three days!”

The doctor bowed once again before opening the door.

Simultaneously, those who had been eavesdropping at the door tumbled in.

“…What are you doing?”

Mari and Siena, who had fallen face-first onto the floor, laughed awkwardly, while Barhan, who had barely managed to regain his balance, cleared his throat self-consciously.

“Um…”

“Just go. Don’t mind them.”

I waved my hand dismissively at the doctor, who seemed at a loss for what to do, and he dashed out as if seizing the opportunity.

“What did the doctor say, my lady?”

Siena, who had suddenly jumped up from her spot, asked while stamping her feet impatiently.

“He said I’m fine.”

“…That’s a lie.”

“No, it’s not. He said I might have some inflammation in my stomach, but other than that, I’m okay.”

“But he said something was strange earlier. What was that about?”

Ah, that.

I rolled my eyes for a moment. After contemplating how to explain it, I shrugged, not wanting to bring up something that didn’t even have an answer yet.

“I guess he just felt weird.”

“My ladyyy…”

“Enough, all of you go and do your work. Stop bothering me.”

I heard a whining call behind me, but I ignored it and turned back to enter my room.

“Huh?”

However, I wasn’t alone when I returned to the room.

Somehow, Dante had entered with me and was standing behind me.

“When did you come in…”

“Did he really say you were fine?”

…Why do you interrupt when someone is speaking?

No matter if he’s the male lead, my husband, a soft rice cake, a handsome man, or a pitiful guy who was deeply traumatized by the original me…

Yeah. Let’s just let it slide.

I barely managed to suppress the frown that was about to form on my forehead and nodded with a bright smile.

“He really did say I’m fine. If anything, he said I’m too healthy.”

Dante clenched his fist imperceptibly at the nonchalant response.

A lie.

Serpina was lying right now.

The slight frown that had appeared momentarily and the awkward smile now were proof of that.

Above all.

Right after being chased out by Serpina.

“What could they be talking about for so long?”

“…Can you hear anything, Siena?”

“No. I can’t hear anything.”

The two maids who were particularly close to Serpina quickly pressed their ears against the door, ignoring the gazes of Dante and Barhan.

Pretending not to care, Barhan also slowly approached the door and lingered nearby.

Dante wanted to do the same, but he forcibly suppressed his anxiety and stood firmly, glaring at the door.

In any case, he had sharper hearing than most people, so he could easily hear what they were listening to with their ears pressed against the door.

As everyone fell silent and focused on the conversation, fragments of dialogue could be heard.

Gulp.

At that point, everyone held their breath.

No energy can be sensed?

Isn’t that a serious matter?

Moreover, what followed was Serpina’s voice, tinged with resignation.

Her voice was excessively calm.

One of the maids who had covered her mouth whispered as if reciting:

“As expected, my lady knew everything all along. *sigh*”

Dante’s gaze briefly turned to her before returning to the door.

His heart was pounding, but regardless, he needed to hear more of the conversation.

And then, the next moment.

As the conversation continued, everyone’s faces gradually turned pale.

The subsequent words didn’t even register in their ears.

It seemed like they were saying something, but their minds couldn’t comprehend it.

Occasionally, when phrases like “it’s killing me” or “number one priority patient” were heard, their hearts sank…

But the only word that dominated their thoughts was one:

Terminal illness.

The fact that Serpina might have a terminal illness was all they could focus on.