What did I say back then?

Come to think of it, I definitely said something crazy.

“My Lady! It’s this person, this person!”

What on earth did I say to a 15-year-old girl who follows me around because she likes me?

As I turned my head slightly in self-loathing, Rose, oblivious, jumped up and down proudly showing off the doctor she had captured.

“This person used saline solution to treat patients!”

“Saline solution?”

“Yes! The medicine you gave me by mixing sugar and salt in water!”

“Th-This is the Grand Duke’s residence, isn’t it? I-I’m just a country doctor, why am I here…”

The middle-aged doctor, Schmidt, was still dumbfounded.

“Originally, he only gave salt water, but when he heard about how you treated me, he added sugar to complete the saline solution!”

“What’s the ratio of ingredients?”

“Pardon?”

Rose had brought Schmidt, almost kidnapping him, saying he would find out once they reached the Grand Duke’s residence, but even after arriving, it was a series of incomprehensible events.

“I asked what the ratio of salt, sugar, and water is.”

“Oh, well, in a jar this size, six spoons of salt and one spoon of sugar. Originally, I thought that since patients sweat a lot, we should replenish the salty water in proportion to the sweat lost, so I gave them water mixed with salt.”

But then he heard rumors that the Grand Duke’s physician and the Lady who knew nothing of medicine had fought, and that Lady had treated patients by giving them only water mixed with salt and sugar instead of using the latest medical technique of bloodletting.

From there, he found room for improvement, adjusted the concentration, and discovered the optimal concentration of six teaspoons of sugar and half a teaspoon of salt per liter.

Even at this point, Schmidt had not realized who the young woman in front of him asking about the ratio was.

“What do you think about bloodletting?”

“While it might have some merit in draining pus from infected wounds, I absolutely don’t think it should be used on patients who are already weak.”

“How much of your saline solution do you prescribe to patients daily?”

“As much as they’ve sweated is appropriate. Any more than that is meaningless anyway.”

“Why? Wouldn’t it be better to give them about twenty bottles a day since it’s good?”

“Is there any need to burst their bladder?”

“What do you think about the method of treating the sword that inflicted the wound instead of directly treating the wound when a knight is injured?”

“What kind of foolish treatment is that?”

My goodness, how sensible.

How can this be? I can communicate with a doctor.

While I was feigning an expressionless face but was extremely impressed, Rose delivered the clinching words behind me.

“My Lady, that person boils his surgical tools in hot water before using them.”

Rose’s eyes sparkled.

“And he makes people wash their hands and feet when they come in from outside.”

“Pass, pass, it’s a pass! This person is the new chief physician of Inkhart Castle from today!”

“I knew you would be pleased, my Lady!”

“Rose, Rose is so kind! Rose is so pretty! Rose is the best!”

“Right, I did the best, didn’t I?”

Rose is much better than the people who introduced three quacks for me to choose a chief physician from.

“Wh-What, what is this all about?”

The three quacks and the doctor Rose had brought looked bewilderedly at the two of us dancing.

What else? It’s the beautiful story of doubling the salary of the doctor Rose brought and revoking the medical licenses of the three quacks.

* * *

“Sigh.”

Darius unconsciously let out a small sigh. Not only had the day’s work been busy, but he had barely seen Anette today.

It was Anette’s decision to dismiss Owen, the dedicated physician. Therefore, Anette was also in charge of interviewing for a new chief physician. These days, Anette seemed to have completely forgotten about the date they had promised someday, saying there was no talent that suited her taste.

Darius moved his steps towards the reception room, intending to make an excuse that he had run into her by chance.

“Hehehe.”

However, what popped out from the reception room was not the desired Anette, but her younger sister Rose.

“I wondered where you’d been for a while. Are you bothering my wife again? I told you she’s a busy person.”

Rose’s cheeks puffed up and then deflated at Darius’s scolding.

“My Lady said she’s happy to see me.”

“Don’t take casual words so seriously.”

Rose lifted her chin.

“She said I could call her ‘sister’.”

“What?”

“But I’m going to save it. For the right time.”

As a reward for Rose bringing a proper doctor today, Anette was in a good mood and promised to grant any wish. Rose was now boasting about this in front of Darius.

“I’m so excited. To be able to call my Lady ‘sister’…! If we get a little closer, my Lady will treat me like a real sister too, hehehe.”

That’s why no matter how much Darius scolded Rose, her mood didn’t worsen.

“Elder brother said otherwise, but my Lady likes me. It’s true.”

Darius knew he should stop here. Rose was a girl younger than him, and a sister he had known since childhood.

“I’m her husband. I don’t need permission.”

“…That’s unfair.”

Why does he get to have Anette as his wife in an arranged marriage! I’m so jealous! I wish Anette was my new sister, or real sister, or half-sister!

Rose trembled at the insurmountable wall before her.

This useless elder brother Lucian! If you have a elder brother, you should quickly get married and make an intelligent new sister part of the family, like elder brother Darius! Of course, Anette wouldn’t suit our family’s idiot at all!

“Elder brother can’t get any closer, but I still have room to become closer!”

I will get closer, I will become even closer in the future!

So I’ll wear matching outfits with my Lady like sisters, have tea parties with my Lady, and hear her say, ‘It would be so nice to have a little sister like Rose. Will you be like a little sister to me?’ Just you wait!

Elder brother Darius can’t do that. Because he’s already her husband!

“Is that so? But what can we do. I’m already in a relationship where I’m going on dates with Anette.”

“Ugh, a couple’s date!”

Darius, who had been worried until just now that Anette might have forgotten about their date promise, lied without even wetting his lips and sank Rose.

With a gaze that was unnecessarily proud for dealing with a friend’s sister four years younger whom he had known since childhood, Darius said once again.

“Yes, a date. Because we’re a couple.”

“Then there’s nothing I can do. This time, please make my Lady happy, elder brother. Next time, I’ll definitely be the one to go on a date with my Lady!”

Rose pouted as if she had no choice. Until a month ago, the person Rose liked most in the world was Darius.

In fact, there was no way she could dislike hearing that the two people she liked most were getting along well.

“Have you planned the date course? Surely you weren’t planning to take my Lady just anywhere?”

“I was thinking of going to the market below the castle.”

“So where exactly below the castle? Oh my, let me help you. A woman’s heart is best understood by another woman. Eh? Surely you weren’t thinking of going to that tea house, were you, elder brother…”

Rose began to give Darius advice and interfere in earnest.

Anette, who was finishing up in the reception room and coming out last, was puzzled to see Darius and Rose with their heads close together, whispering.

‘What important conversation are those two having?’

Not even thinking that it might be about herself, Anette tilted her head in confusion.