The Terminally-Ill Duke Clings to Me Every Night - Chapter 24

“How much exactly is the damage to the Tren branch right now?”

“It’s difficult to assess. To make matters worse, we supplied additional medicines and herbs just a week ago. The person in charge there is unfamiliar with herbology…”

“Ha. Then what should we do! Tell me the countermeasures. Did I ask someone to read aloud the print in this report?”

The man sitting in the center of the table raised his voice angrily.

– Thud!

The man, who looked like the person in charge at a glance, slammed the document he was holding onto the table. At the dull friction sound of the file, the guild employees around him lowered their heads.

“I apologize.”

“Are you saying we should stand by and watch perfectly good medicines being thrown away?! Shouldn’t we either recruit an herbalist or quickly restore the store to its original state?”

“The thing is, it’s difficult to find someone in Tren right now. They need to know not only about herbs but also be well-versed in guild affairs. It seems we’ll have to send someone from our side…”

The guild employee who was continuing to speak shrank back at the man’s sharp gaze.

“We also don’t have suitable personnel…”

Leah, who was about to leave the guild following Bayern, stopped in her tracks at the familiar place name ‘Tren’. She had a hunch when she faintly heard about flood damage.

It seemed that the medicines supplied by Magnolia had suffered losses due to the heavy rains.

‘From what I hear, they need someone who knows herbology?’

If the city was submerged to that extent, the Magnolia store must be in the same condition.

‘They need someone who can sort out usable medicines and herbs?’

Leah immediately grasped the situation. They would need to dispatch someone with business acumen to minimize the guild’s losses.

She had been looking for an opportunity to visit the orphanage, which she was worried about anyway.

‘This could be a chance to both visit the orphanage and help Tren, if I do it right?’

“Right now, we’re selecting personnel to dispatch to Tren. Raise your hand if you have some knowledge of herbology.”

Only a heavy silence flowed, and no one raised their hand. As if he had expected this to some extent, the man’s brow furrowed deeply.

“Ha. Then find suitable personnel immediately!”

It was just as the guild employees around him were about to quickly disperse at his thunderous shout.

“Me.”

Along with a clear voice cutting through the silence, Leah raised her hand.

“I think I can do that role. I know how the guild operates to some extent. Moreover, I’m from Tren.”

In an instant, everyone’s gaze turned to Leah. At Leah’s words that she was from Tren, the deeply furrowed brow of the person in charge smoothed out at once.

“The young pharmacist is from Tren?”

“Yes. I can distinguish herbs and medicines without problem. I am a pharmacist after all. However, may I take the medicines that can’t be sold?”

“What do you intend to do with those? They’re unsellable items.”

Even without that, Tren was said to be in a dangerous situation due to secondary diseases. Tren was originally a city with severe income disparities. There must be many people in medical blind spots.

“Since I’m going to my hometown to see my family, I want to do some good.”

“…”

“They may not be sellable, but the herbs haven’t lost their efficacy. I want to make remedies and give them to the slums.”

The person in charge, who had been staring at Leah blankly, approached her. He was a man exuding a sense of pressure befitting the guild’s leader.

“Additional compensation…”

“I don’t need compensation.”

Because with this, the guild master would see Leah in a new light.

That gain was enough for her. It would be good for the profit-seeking guild to employ Leah without pay as well.

Leah smiled brightly.

‘If there’s just one thing that concerns me.’

“I need the Duke’s permission. May I go ask him first?”

All that remained was Akkia’s permission.

[This is the timeline separator]

Leah, standing in front of the Duke’s room, let out a short deep breath.

She had boldly offered to help the Magnolia Guild without pay, but…

‘Will the Duke allow it…?’

Leah had been feeling conscious lately because she was so busy.

In fact, it was true that she hadn’t been able to focus on developing the antidote because of other work like nutritional supplements and medical examinations increasing.

But Leah really wanted to go to Tren. It was as good as her hometown.

Although it was tough, she wanted to go and be of help since the place holding her childhood memories was suffering from flood damage.

Leah, who had organized her words on how to get the Duke to allow her to go to Tren, knocked on the door.

“Your Grace, it’s Leah.”

Then, as if telling her to come in, the sound of something falling was heard from inside the room. As she entered with the clicking sound, Akkia was sitting at the table reading a book.

“What’s the matter? I thought today’s examination was over.”

“Well, that is…”

It was as if glue had been applied to her mouth, not easily coming off.

But what could she do? She couldn’t just go on vacation without the Duke’s permission. Leah, swallowing dry saliva, carefully spoke up.

“I’d like to take a vacation this time…”

“Vacation?”

He took his eyes off the book he was reading and looked at Leah.

“I was thinking of going to the Tren region for a bit.”

“Why?”

“There’s a library in Tren with many herbology books. As you know, the Tren region is a place where various herbs grow, and it’s also quite developed in terms of medicine… It will surely help with developing the antidote.”

Leah’s words were half sincere.

In fact, the Tren region was a place where herbology had developed because various herbs grew there.

Because of that, Leah was also able to naturally gain knowledge about herbology.

‘If I go there, I might be able to get clues for developing the antidote.’

Of course, she wasn’t going there just to develop the antidote. Leah looked at the Duke with trembling eyes.

He was staring at Leah silently with an inscrutable expression.

“How long?”

“About two weeks.”

By then, the situation should have stabilized to some extent. But Leah’s face showed tension, not knowing if the Duke would allow it.

For the Duke, two weeks was not a short time at all.

‘Even if he allows it, he’ll probably tell me to reduce the period saying it’s too long…’

“Alright. Go ahead.”

“…Pardon?”

When Leah, who thought he definitely wouldn’t allow it, was about to negotiate the period, the Duke gave unexpected permission. She asked back with a stupid expression.

“I said go ahead.”

“…Really?”

“Why, don’t you want to?”

“Ah, no!!”

How could she not want to? The Duke allowing a vacation. She was even dumbfounded that the Duke had allowed it much more easily than she had thought.

“Thank you so much!”

Leah repeatedly expressed her gratitude and quickly left the room. Now that she had the Duke’s permission. She was thinking of leaving for Tren as soon as possible.

‘I’ll be able to see the Director after such a long time!’

Leah’s steps were light at the thought of meeting those she had missed. But Leah didn’t know. Why the Duke had so easily allowed her vacation.

She found out the reason four days later.

[This is the timeline separator]

Two days later. Leah was in front of the Magnolia Guild to go to Tren.

“…What is all this?”

Leah asked in surprise, seeing the wagons loaded with an enormous amount of supplies.

“Supplies going to the Tren region.”

“Supplies?”

The items being loaded one by one onto the carriages were what the Tren region needed most right now.

Clean water, food that could be preserved for a long time, and other basic necessities.

“Why this…”

“It’s the guild master’s will.”

“The guild master’s…?”

Leah asked in a puzzled voice.

“The Tren region will play an important role when expanding the pharmaceutical business in the future, and also.”

Bayern looked at Leah, who was staring with wide eyes.

“Being Magnolia, we can’t lose to a young girl.”

He added that it was the guild master’s expression of gratitude for Leah helping the guild work without pay.

‘Somehow, that guild master seems quite decent.’

Although she had never seen his face, she became convinced that he was at least not a bad person.

Leah, feeling lighter thinking of the people who would receive the supplies, got into the carriage.

The Tren region was a place that took a full two days by carriage from the Haidern estate.

Her whole body felt as if it had been pounded by a hammer from traveling non-stop except for occasional rests for the horses.

“It’s really been a long time.”

Having finally reached the entrance of Tren, she smiled brightly as if glad. But that was only for a moment.

The more she went into the village, sighs flowed from her mouth.

‘It’s worse than I thought.’

She didn’t know the flood damage would be this severe when she only read about it.

The streets that had always been clean were now dirty with mud. The wooden houses had long since been reduced to fragments.

“It’s worse than we heard.”

And it seemed Leah wasn’t the only one thinking so, as Bayern next to her also had a bitter expression.

Leah was also looking around with regretful eyes when someone was waving at her.

“Leah!”

The man with dark brown hair and grayish-brown eyes had quite a handsome face.

‘Who is it?’

Leah couldn’t hide her bewilderment at the sight of the man who seemed to know her well. No matter how much she searched her memory, she couldn’t remember seeing someone who looked like that.

Perhaps noticing her confusion, the man called Leah’s name again while waving his hand.

“Leah! It’s me, Theo! Theo!”

“…Theo?”

‘That snot-nosed Theo I knew?!’

Leah’s eyes widened at the man’s appearance that had changed so much.

They say men’s growth is different. He seemed at least ten centimeters taller than when she last saw him five years ago.

“It’s been so long!”

The man, who had suddenly approached close, hugged Leah tightly. They used to be the same height. Now she fit entirely in Theo’s arms.

Leah, who had been quietly nestled in his arms, touched the man’s face.

“Is it really you, Theo?”

“Don’t tell me you’ve forgotten my face after five years?”

Looking closely at his face, it was indeed the Theo she knew.

“Theo!”

The awkwardness at his too-changed face was momentary. Leah, now certain it was her old friend Theo, hugged him tightly.

He was like precious family to Leah.

Although they hadn’t been able to meet often after graduating from the orphanage because their lives were too busy. They had grown up like siblings, just not related by blood.

As the two who had met after a long time were hugging each other and sharing their joy, it happened. A chill ran down her spine from an inexplicable gaze.

“What’s wrong?”

Theo, looking curiously at Leah who suddenly flinched, asked.

“Nothing…”

Strange.

Was it her imagination that she felt like something was watching her? She tilted her head at the inexplicably uneasy feeling.