TRST 19

Chapter 19

“…At this hour?”

Jacob normally wouldn’t question such orders, but this time he couldn’t help himself. It was already past 11 p.m., nearing midnight. It was late, and more importantly, there wasn’t even a patient in need.

Understanding Jacob’s concern, Ains turned his head and looked out the window. Outside was pitch-dark night.

It really was too late. If it weren’t urgent, he would have summoned Dr. Watt the next day after sunrise. But not this time. Ains wanted to call him immediately and confirm what exactly was going on.

“Yes. I know it’s late, but it’s urgent.”

“Understood, sir.”

Jacob bowed and left the office.

Leaning back in his chair, Ains examined the medicine bottle. At a glance, it looked like an ordinary glass vial. Its contents didn’t appear particularly special either.

What kind of illness did Cecilia have that required her to carry something like this?

Knock, knock.

Before long, a quiet knock echoed through the still office. Ains, who had been staring at the bottle, raised his head toward the door. Soon, Jacob’s voice came from outside.

“Your Grace, it’s Jacob. I’ve brought Dr. Watt.”

“Come in.”

Ains exhaled softly and gave permission. The office door opened.

As soon as Dr. Watt stepped inside, he bowed politely.

“Greetings, Duke Graham.”

“A pleasure. Please, have a seat.”

Ains stood and gestured toward a nearby sofa. Dr. Watt bowed once more and sat where indicated. Ains followed and took his seat as well.

“It doesn’t seem like anything has happened to the former Duke Graham. May I ask why you summoned me at this hour?”

Dr. Watt got straight to the point after sitting down.

There was usually only one reason to call a physician at night—illness or injury.

But contrary to his expectations, he had been brought not to the former duke’s chambers, but to Ains Graham’s office. Judging from the calm atmosphere of the estate, it didn’t seem that Daimond Graham’s condition had worsened.

“Though it’s late, there’s something urgent I need to confirm.”

After hearing the question, Ains placed the medicine bottle he was holding onto the table with a soft clink.

Dr. Watt’s gaze naturally shifted to the bottle.

“This is…”

“So you recognize it.”

As Dr. Watt widened his eyes, Ains leaned back with his arms crossed. It seemed he would get the answer he wanted.

“Of course I do. I prescribed this—this is the suppressant I made for Lady… Count Marbes.”

Dr. Watt corrected himself mid-sentence, almost calling Cecilia “the Duchess,” then reached out to inspect the bottle more closely.

It was unmistakably the suppressant he had made using the leftover Tiera flowers after producing a cure for Trintz disease. When he opened the bottle and smelled it, he became even more certain.

“But why does Your Grace have this…?”

“Cecilia came to the estate during dinner. She coughed up blood. What illness does she have exactly?”

At Ains’s question, tilting his head slightly, Dr. Watt instead looked puzzled.

“You didn’t know?”

“What?”

“Count Marbes has Trintz disease.”

“…Trintz disease?”

Seeing Ains’s reaction, Dr. Watt realized that he truly hadn’t known.

He let out a quiet sigh.

Even for nobles, it was tragic—his former husband didn’t even know she had such a serious illness.

“Is it severe?”

“Yes. Normally, as you know, mana circulates periodically throughout the body.”

Mana was the fundamental force that made up nature. It existed in the air, in plants, in animals—and of course, in humans.

Ains, who had mastered mana to the level of a Sword Master, knew this well.

But he had no idea why Dr. Watt was suddenly explaining mana.

“I know that. What does that have to do with Trintz disease?”

“When someone contracts Trintz disease, their mana gradually begins to solidify—starting from the parts farthest from the heart. At first, numbness appears in the fingertips and toes.”

Dr. Watt continued with a quiet sigh.

“Then, parts of the body begin to stiffen. In the worst cases, the stomach becomes paralyzed, making digestion impossible, or the lungs stop functioning, making breathing impossible. Eventually, when the heart becomes paralyzed… it leads to death.”

“…”

“Count Marbes has that disease. I first examined her about six months ago, so it likely began around then.”

“Enough.”

Ains raised his hand to his forehead, stopping him.

It was a far more serious illness than he expected.

“Six months…?”

he muttered quietly. That wasn’t a short time. He couldn’t understand why Cecilia hadn’t told him about something so severe.

“Yes, Your Grace.”

“Why didn’t she tell me?”

Though he muttered in disbelief, it wasn’t something Dr. Watt could answer. Watching Ains carefully, Dr. Watt spoke cautiously.

“However, Your Grace—Count Marbes has already taken the cure.”

At the mention of a cure, Ains lifted his head again.

“The main ingredient is the Tiera flower.”

“…What flower?”

“The Tiera flower.”

Ains knew very well what that flower was—and how outrageously expensive it was.

Only then did Cecilia’s past behavior begin to make sense.

Her sudden demands for money, even the alimony request of one million gold—he hadn’t understood it before, but now the pieces fell into place.

“If she took the cure, shouldn’t she recover?”

“Not completely. The damage it causes to the body is significant…”

“I see.”

Ains frowned slightly. The blood she had coughed up during dinner must have been due to Trintz disease.

“Then this must be the suppressant.”

“Yes, that’s correct.”

“Come to think of it, do mana stones help with the illness? Cecilia was trying to obtain some.”

Ains recalled what had happened at the Reflen Auction House.

Cecilia had no reason to use unrefined mana stones—she neither studied magic nor wielded a sword. He had always wondered why she wanted them.

Dr. Watt nodded as if it made perfect sense.

“Yes. If you use mana stones to loosen the solidifying mana, it can help alleviate the symptoms to some extent.”

Only after hearing that did Ains let out a hollow breath. Now he finally understood why Cecilia had gone to such lengths to obtain mana stones.

After hearing a few more details, Ains dismissed Dr. Watt.

It was already past midnight.

But for the first time in a long while, Ains felt like sleep wouldn’t come easily.

In the end, Rachel couldn’t find the medicine bottle.

She had definitely dropped it during dinner, so it should have been in the dining hall. But even after searching thoroughly—and questioning every maid and servant who had been there—it was nowhere to be found.

Thankfully, she had given half of the suppressant to Rivet just in case. If she had kept all of it herself, this could have been disastrous.

For now, she had no choice but to rely on the portion Rivet had. No—instead, she needed to follow Dr. Watt’s advice and find someone who could use mana to help her.

The suppressant was made from Tiera flowers, which were both rare and extremely expensive. It wasn’t something she could stockpile for long-term side effects of an illness with no clear end. Hiring someone capable of using mana would be more realistic.

From early morning, thoughts of the missing medicine bottle and the aftereffects of Trintz disease gave her a pounding headache.

First, she needed to meet a mage. To do that, she would have to visit the Mage Tower.

Fortunately, during her time as the Duchess of Graham, she had visited the tower a few times. Having acquaintances there would make things easier.

She decided to stop by the Mage Tower after breakfast. While finishing a simple meal, a maid approached Rivet and whispered something.

Rivet’s eyes widened in surprise.

“What is it?”

Unable to contain her curiosity, she asked.

“The Duke of Graham has come to see you.”

“…Ains?”

Why would he come here all of a sudden?