Time Healer Ceres

People had looked at Cheion oddly when he said he was going to work.

“The secretary is going, so I should go too.”

“......”

...Don’t smile like that. I might start getting attached.

Ceres shook her head as she watched him break into that carefree smile again.

Well, I suppose it doesn’t matter.

Thanks to him, she had managed to enter the Ellesia estate without any trouble.

Ceres turned her gaze to the man walking ahead of them, Creel Ellesia. The fake ring was still on his finger.

This household really is something else.

She had felt it the last time she came here, but nothing ever seemed to function the way it should. The man guarding the front gate was questionable, and the healers tending to the injured didn’t seem particularly competent either.

And now, even the head of the house is wearing a fake ring!

Ceres suppressed the sigh that nearly slipped out.

“What are you thinking about, Ceres?”

“I’m just wondering what I should start with.”

“What do you mean, start? You don’t need to do anything. Just stay next to me. The others will take care of everything.”

“Ugh... I knew this would happen. I knew it!”

“See? Work? What work? This is practically a break!”

“Sob... Lord Luca, please hurry...”

The other mages following behind them all grabbed the backs of their necks at Cheion’s words, while Ceres simply let his voice pass through one ear and out the other.

She turned her gaze toward the window.

First...

In one corner of the garden stood a large fountain, sending a refreshing spray of water into the air.

Let’s find the ring first.

***

“Lady Herion, what are you doing right now?!”

“Me? I’m studying.”

“I’m asking if you know what that book is before reading it!”

“This?”

Herion, who had been reading a medical text, was forced to stand when several people approached her.

Whoosh!

“Ah...”

A shadow fell over her face as the book in her hands was snatched away. But the others paid her no mind.

“Only a select few are permitted to read this text.”

“Lord Ezley said I could...”

Having received permission directly from the late Count, Herion smiled awkwardly toward the juniors glaring at her.

“The current Count, Lord Creel, hasn’t given permission.”

“That’s... true.”

Scratching her cheek, Herion nodded in agreement.

“I won’t read it anymore.”

At her gentle smile, the faces of those who had been glaring at her twisted.

It was always like this. They never understood how she could keep smiling like that, even while being put down by her juniors.

Is she missing a few screws?

If it were them, they would’ve quit and left long ago out of sheer embarrassment.

Herion had been studying here for well over ten years, and in truth, she was someone they shouldn’t have dared to treat carelessly. But for reasons unknown, she had fallen out of favor with the current head, Creel Ellesia.

Because of that, the people of the Ellesia family tacitly ignored her. Recently, she was even assigned to sorting and redistributing herbs, a task usually given to newcomers.

“Have you finished organizing the herbs?”

“Mm, all done. But Rona...”

“Yeah?”

“It’s about the patient you’re in charge of, Robes. He said he’s been having trouble digesting since yesterday. Did you know?”

“Why? I already prescribed digestive medicine.”

“You know he’s being treated for Crew Disease, right? One of the ingredients in that treatment is the Alto fruit.”

“Who doesn’t know that? What exactly are you trying to say?”

At the irritation in her voice, Herion shrank back slightly.

Even so, her eyes remained bright and clear, enough to make the junior healers who had been picking a fight hesitate for a second.

“I was wondering if the indigestion might be caused by the Alto fruit. Some people just can’t tolerate it. When that happens, it can lead to digestive issues.”

“......”

“If it continues, it can eventually cause severe pain. I know I might be worrying over nothing, but wouldn’t it be better to check and adjust the prescription just in case?”

“I-I know that much!”

“Ah, sorry. I guess I worried for nothing. I’ll get going now. Good work, everyone.”

Still smiling, even giving a small wave as she left, Herion disappeared from view.

The healers watching her go all looked displeased.

“So annoying.”

Among them, Rona, whose treatment had just been questioned, bit her lip.

“For no reason at all, she just has to be good.”

“I know, right.”

“Why do you think she got on the Count’s bad side?”

“Haven’t you heard? They say the former head favored Herion more than Lord Creel.”

“Is that actually true?”

“Who knows. But they say that’s why Lord Creel sees her as a thorn in his side.”

“Then why not just throw her out?”

“If they kick her out without a proper reason, it’ll hurt their reputation. It’d be easier if she just left on her own, but since she keeps holding on like that, it’s probably giving the higher-ups a headache too.”

“Don’t you think Lady Herion doesn’t even realize she’s being bullied?”

“She really is that oblivious.”

They all clicked their tongues and shook their heads.

***

“Hmm...”

In a shaded corner of the garden where people rarely passed, someone had been crouching for quite some time, carefully examining something.

It was Herion.

She was studying a tiny plant with blue flowers no bigger than her fingernail.

“I’ve definitely seen this before... What herb was it again?”

She was sure she had seen it illustrated in a book, but she couldn’t remember.

What was it used for?

“It’s a salve herb for boils. Dyke flower.”

“Ah! Dyke!”

Herion clapped her hands together, delighted to have her question answered.

“Huh?”

Then she realized the voice she had just heard was unfamiliar and immediately turned around.

“Are you Herion?”

“Who are you?”

It was a young woman she had never seen before. She looked to be in her late teens.

She stepped closer and crouched beside Herion, studying the same plant.

She seems like a healer.

The way she immediately recognized the herb’s name made that clear.

Is she a new recruit?

The other woman seemed to know her, but to Herion, she was a complete stranger. Did they cross paths before?

“I heard you were personally taught by the former head of the house.”

“Lord Ezley?”

At the mention of that name, Herion’s expression dimmed.

Every time she thought of Lord Ezley, who had died from an unknown illness, a dull ache settled in her chest.

After he collapsed, she was never allowed to see him. Creel had strictly blocked all visits, insisting his master needed rest.

I wanted to save him somehow.

There hadn’t even been time to identify the illness. It progressed far too quickly, and she had no choice but to watch him go without being able to do anything.

No...

She hadn’t even been able to see his face, let alone examine him properly. Even now, none of it made sense.

Just what illness did Lord Ezley die from?

“He was a kind man. He taught me so much when I knew nothing.”

Herion’s eyes quickly grew red when she recalled her master, who had always answered her questions with patience and care.

“...That’s probably what led to his death.”

“What? What do you mean...?”

Herion’s eyes widened at the woman’s low murmur.

Led to his death? What did she mean? Did she... know what illness Lord Ezley had?

“Do you know how long this herb needs to be dried?”

“A week. It has to be dried in the shade, not in direct sunlight. That way, it retains its effectiveness.”

Herion answered without hesitation. Now that she remembered the herb, the rest of the information came to her naturally.

“What about Guks leaves? What are they used for?”

“They’re excellent for relieving pain, especially for patients suffering from severe stomach irritation. But you have to be careful. If taken for too long, they can cause chronic indigestion.”

“A child developed a fever about fifteen days ago. They were diagnosed with a simple cold and given medicine, but it hasn’t helped. Their condition keeps worsening, and after showing signs of vomiting, they eventually lost consciousness. Should we keep treating it as a cold?”

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