The Price of Breaching the Contract - Chapter 22

A few days later, contrary to Yulania’s plan, she didn’t need to call Joel.

“Lord, Princess.”

She lifted her heavy eyelids at the cautious voice. Her head was foggy from being forcibly awakened.

“Vanessa?”

“Yes, Princess. I apologize for the early hour.”

She blinked a couple of times, and her surroundings came into view. It was a very early hour, the dawn darkness not yet gone. Yulania only rolled her eyes to look at Vanessa. She didn’t have the strength to ask anything aloud yet.

Then, Vanessa added an explanation in a soft voice, looking apologetic and unsure of what to do.

“A doctor named Joel has come to see you. He seems to have something to say regarding the medicine. The butler said that the Duke instructed him to guide him in immediately if he came. But the Duke happens to be away.”

There was no need to hear more. As soon as Yulania heard the name Joel and the talk of medicine, she was wide awake. She gently straightened her back, following Vanessa’s touch as she helped her up.

Perhaps because it was such an early hour, the air felt colder than usual. As Yulania gently grasped the edge of the blanket, Vanessa, noticing immediately, draped a thick fur shawl over her shoulders.

“Where is he?”

“I guided him to the drawing room on the first floor.”

Yulania’s room was upstairs. Moreover, the living space of the Duke and Duchess was located in a separate, independent space connected by a separate staircase. This meant it was far from the drawing room located in the main castle lobby, where outsiders came and went.

Even though her room was heated to the maximum with fireplaces, the cold morning air seeped in through the gaps in the fallen blanket. She thought about the path to the drawing room and pondered.

If it were anyone else, no matter how bothersome, she wouldn’t have considered bringing them into her private bedroom. However, Joel was a doctor who had already visited her room several times for treatment.

In the end, the creeping chill and drowsiness won over propriety.

“Can you tell him to come here?”

“Yes, I will.”

Vanessa, answering kindly, pulled the bell cord instead of leaving. Soon after, Maya entered with a small knock.

She greeted Yulania at the door and then hurried off to call Joel at Vanessa’s instruction. In the meantime, Vanessa brought a couple of warm, damp towels.

“Princess, give me your hands.”

“Okay.”

Her two white hands, obediently offered, were wrapped in warm towels that steamed gently.

“Mmm…”

Goosebumps rose all over her body as the moist warmth touched her skin. Yulania closed her eyes, thinking that Vanessa was the best.

“I’ll just wipe your face lightly.”

She nodded slightly, and a meticulous touch followed. Her skin, startled by the sudden awakening, calmed down, and as the fragrant lotion was applied, she heard a sound from outside.

Yulania noticed and turned her gaze as a cautious knock sounded.

At the sound, Vanessa tidied up the towel that had been covering Yulania’s hands, smoothed her clothes, and said, “I’ll let him in.”

Yulania nodded and leaned back. Several thick cushions were already propped up on the headboard of the bed so she could sit up comfortably.

Joel, who entered after opening the door, looked a little different than before.

“Princess, it’s been a while. I apologize for coming so early.”

“No, thank you for coming so quickly. Did you find out something about the medicine?”

He had been wary of the Duke and Duchess’s status, but he hadn’t been afraid of them. But today, Joel looked somehow haggard and anxious.

Joel had quickly come to the castle with the news he had discovered at the clinic a little while ago.

‘How could this happen?!’

He had started investigating the medicine at Santia’s command, but he had not been able to successfully complete an accurate analysis. For a month, he had been testing this and that with only a vague suspicion, and then a clue was caught in an unexpected place.

Joel recalled the woman in shabby clothes who had come late in the evening.

Knock, knock, knock.

“Is anyone there?”

She came with a timid knock when Joel was finishing up his day and tidying up the clinic. Even the voice that came through the crack in the door was full of caution.

Today, he had spent the evening far past its end experimenting with Yulania’s medicine. Joel glanced at the clock on the wall and decided to tell her to come back tomorrow, intending to refuse.

‘But she came all the way here, so I should at least greet her.’

Joel dragged his tired body to the door. He only intended to show his face and send her away.

“Ah, hello?”

“…Yes.”

However, when the door opened and Joel saw the guest smiling faintly as she greeted him, he strangely couldn’t take his feet off the ground. The woman, who looked to be nearly forty, was clearly not from the North at a glance. The woman, who was much taller than Joel, had her light-colored hair tied up messily.

“I’m sorry! I’m here too late.”

“How may I help you?”

“Well,  I’m feeling very unwell.”

It was a common symptom. Joel felt a wave of disappointment, wondering what he had been expecting, and sighed softly without being heard.

He didn’t know why she had thought of visiting a doctor at this hour, but seeing that she had walked alone, it wasn’t a serious illness. Joel valued all the patients in the territory, but these days, with the medicine investigation dragging on, he was feeling tired.

“I’m sorry, but could you come back tomorrow morning?”

“Ah!”

“I can give you some simple medicine. Please come in for a moment.”

However, he couldn’t coldly turn away the woman who was making such a troubled face. In the end, Joel let the woman into the clinic. He was going to give her some common medicine to calm her stomach without giving her a separate examination and send her back.

After roughly giving her a place to sit, Joel rummaged through the drawers where the over-the-counter medicines were kept. Then, he took out a mild stomach medicine and returned. It was a choice he made because she looked weak and emaciated, no matter what her story was.

“This is a mild medicine.”

“Thank you.”

The woman accepted the medicine obediently. However, she hesitated and didn’t get up from her seat. Joel, unable to bear the increasingly dimming vision, spoke first.

“I’ll examine you again tomorrow. That medicine should be enough for one night.”

“Yes.”

Even so, the woman didn’t think of getting up. She held the medicine bag in both hands, repeatedly opening and closing her mouth.

He was relieved that she wasn’t stubbornly demanding an examination, but now it seemed she had other business. Joel felt the fatigue coming back more intensely and decided to speak more firmly.

However, the woman’s voice rang out first.

“I know it’s a difficult request, but do you happen to have this kind of medicine?”

Joel sighed softly once more at the woman’s words. Occasionally, there were patients who requested medicine that a doctor should never recommend. Something that was highly addictive or harmful to the body. Joel naturally assumed it was such a request and turned to the woman.

At the same time as she spoke, she took out a small medicine bottle from her arms.

“…?! Where did you get this?”

Joel’s eyes widened as he saw the familiar whitish liquid in the medicine bottle. Perhaps she hadn’t expected his reaction, as the woman was surprised and pulled the medicine bottle back into her arms.

“Huh? From my hometown.”

“Where is your hometown? No, you said you came because you were feeling unwell. Is this medicine for that?”

He felt like his vision had suddenly brightened. The woman, who had been the cause of his fatigue just a few seconds ago, had turned into a savior who would solve the root of that fatigue.

“Nuttswood. South of the capital.”

“Can I take a look at that medicine?”

“…”

As Joel became excited, as if he would snatch the medicine bottle away, the woman clutched the medicine bottle tightly, as if hiding it in her arms. Joel, realizing his mistake at her anxiously shaking eyes, showed both palms and stepped back.

“Ah, I’m sorry. It’s just that it seems to be the medicine I’ve been desperately looking for. I won’t take it. I just want to take a closer look and smell it for a moment. I’ll give you an examination right away if you want.”

“Okay!”

Only then did the woman slowly hand over the medicine bottle. Joel immediately examined the liquid with his eyes and opened the lid to check the scent. He had a feeling from the moment he saw it, but it was definitely it.

‘The medicine the Princess was taking!’

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