SHBVH 05

Chapter 05

Prescription

Ramein, who had run over in a panic, pushed her way through the servants gathered around Lodeel. His limbs trembled violently as if struck by electricity, and white foam mixed with saliva flowed from his mouth.

‘An epileptic seizure.’

A condition commonly known in society as epilepsy. She recognized at once that Lodeel’s symptoms were caused by it. Her eyes widened, and she dropped heavily to the floor.

“M–Madam!”

She could hear the flustered voices of the servants, but it didn’t matter. She quickly reached out, grabbed Lodeel by the side as he lay staring up at the ceiling, and pulled him with all her strength.

“Ugh! What are you doing!”

But moving such a large body alone was not easy.

“What are you all doing! Hurry and turn Lodeel onto his side!”

She shouted at the servants who stood frozen in panic.

“Yes! Yes!”

The servants hurried over and helped Ramein lay Lodeel on his side. At that moment, Lodeel’s convulsions intensified, and he flung his arms wildly in the air. Thud! Thud!

“Ahh!”

“Ugh!!”

One of his thick wrists struck down hard on a servant’s arm—and then slammed heavily into Ramein’s shoulder.

“Madam!!”

Startled, Jane rushed over in a frenzy. But Ramein didn’t register it. Instead, gripping Lodeel’s body with all her strength, she frantically scanned her surroundings with wide eyes. Near his head were a knife and fork, likely what he had been holding. A bowl of steaming soup had spilled onto the floor.

“Ugh!”

In that moment, she firmly pressed down his heaving body and stretched out her leg from beneath her dress. She kicked the knife and fork far away and shouted,

“Clear these away! Get rid of anything dangerous immediately!!”

“Yes!”

While the servants cleared the area, she grabbed the hem of her dress with one hand and shoved it under Lodeel’s head to protect it. The saliva and foam from his gasping mouth began to soil her dress.

“Madam! We’ll do it.”

“Your dress will get dirty!”

She didn’t even spare the servants, who were panicking and stamping their feet, a glance.

To a doctor, the patient came first.

How much time had passed? The ragged breathing gradually steadied, and the strength drained from his convulsing body. Ramein slowly loosened her grip, which had never left his large frame. Lodeel’s thick jaw, which had been awkwardly turned, returned to a more comfortable position.

‘Has it stopped now?’

She continued to observe him without letting her guard down until the very end.

“Madam, please get up now!”

Jane, who had been unable to intervene and could only worry, rushed over.

“Alright. I’ll get up.”

The servants, still flustered, looked at her helplessly. As she slowly rose—

“I’m very sorry, Madam!”

An older attendant, who seemed to be in charge of the kitchen servants, approached and began apologizing. Ramein looked at him as he bowed stiffly.

“What exactly are you apologizing for?”

“I am ashamed for having startled you. As for the dress Lodeel soiled, once he wakes, he will immediately—”

“Wait a moment.”

Ramein’s calm voice cut him off.

“You can clearly see the condition of the man in front of you, and you’re saying the dress is what matters?”

“…Pardon?”

The attendant’s gaze shifted to Lodeel, who lay on the floor, twitching as if trying to regain consciousness. Of course, in a hierarchical society, this situation might be awkward for them. But—

“Are you saying you don’t know that a person is more important than a mere dress?”

She believed that, as people themselves, they couldn’t possibly not know something so basic.

“Ah, well… that is…”

Watching the attendant grow increasingly flustered, she let out a short sigh.

“I’m fine, so don’t worry about it. And I wasn’t that startled either.”

It was true. Compared to the life-threatening situations she had faced multiple times a day, this was nothing.

“Madam, I will escort you to your room.”

At Jane’s voice, she slowly turned. The servants, watching carefully, quickly moved aside to make way for her.

‘In this state, there’s no way I can eat.’

The hem of her dress was a complete mess.

“Alright. Let’s go to the room first—”

As she lifted her gaze from it, her eyes met Cedric’s directly.

The man stood neatly by the dining table. It seemed he hadn’t moved a single step during the entire commotion. Not only that, his expression hadn’t changed at all from before. Someone had collapsed, yet he remained so calm? Whatever little affection there might have been dropped instantly.

“It seems you’ll have to eat breakfast alone.”

She spoke in a flat tone, locking eyes with him.

“That seems for the best.”

Cedric replied lightly, his gaze sweeping over her soiled dress.

“We’ll prepare the meal again!”

The servants hurriedly began moving about. At the same time, Ramein turned and left the dining hall.

As soon as she returned to her room, she bathed and changed her dress.

“Madam, I’ve brought your breakfast.”

After a while, Jane entered the room with food.

“Alright. Thank you.”

Ramein sat at the table by the window and picked up her fork, but her eyes slowly furrowed.

‘Did I use too much strength?’

Her arms trembled. It made sense—she had exerted herself pulling and holding down that large man.

“Madam, are you alright?”

Jane asked anxiously from beside her.

“Yes, I’m fine.”

She gave a faint smile to reassure her and gripped the fork tightly. Just then—knock, knock. Someone had come to the room. Jane quickly went to the door, spoke briefly with the visitor, and returned.

“Who is it?”

“Um… Lodeel says he would like to see you for a moment, Madam.”

“Let him in.”

She answered lightly. Jane went back to the door, and shortly after, Lodeel entered with his head lowered deeply. There was a bluish bruise on his face, likely from collapsing onto the hard floor. Otherwise, he showed no particular symptoms.

As she examined him like a patient—

Thud!

His large body suddenly dropped to the floor.

“…!”

Startled, thinking he had collapsed again—

“Madam! I’m sorry! I’ve committed an unforgivable sin!”

Lodeel knelt, bowing so low his forehead nearly touched the ground.

“Lodeel?! What are you doing?”

Ramein’s eyes widened in shock.

“I will earn money no matter what and repay the cost of the dress I dirtied! So please don’t throw me out!!”

…Throw him out? Her wide eyes slowly narrowed.

“After I broke Miss Elina’s teacup last time, I promised it would never happen again… I’ve committed a terrible sin!”

His voice trembled, not matching his large build.

‘So this isn’t the first time.’

Ramein quietly took in the new information.

“Since that day, I’ve prayed earnestly to God every day, but the curse hasn’t disappeared. I’m sorry!”

She looked at his trembling body with pity. In times when medical technology barely existed, people like Lodeel—those with hard-to-treat illnesses—were often labeled as cursed by God.

‘Is this world also one where, instead of treatment, they rely only on prayer and superstition? Or is it that those without money simply can’t receive treatment?’

Pushing aside her curiosity about this unfamiliar world, she recalled the moment she had thrown off her doctor’s coat. The image of a grandmother abandoned at the brink of life and death because she was poor and socially weak flashed through her mind. Her gaze deepened as she looked at the bowed head before her.

“Lodeel.”

“Yes! Madam!”

“How long have you been working in the kitchen?”

“Pardon? Ah… a little over a year.”

He answered hesitantly without lifting his head.

“First, get up. You didn’t do anything wrong.”

At her gentle voice, Lodeel slowly raised his upper body. Their eyes met directly.

“You won’t be thrown out because of this.”

“…Madam! Thank you!”

“I told you not to bow.”

His large body, which had flung itself down again, returned upright.

“But you have to promise me one thing.”

“…A promise?”

“Jane, bring me a pen and paper.”

Ramein said, glancing around. She began writing on the paper Jane brought. After writing for quite some time, she set down the pen, stood up, and crouched in front of the still-kneeling Lodeel.

“Here. Take this.”

His large hand hesitated before accepting the paper.

“From now on, focus on eating the foods listed here.”

“…Pardon?”

“And how much do you usually sleep?”

“…About six hours.”

“Sleep more.”

Lodeel’s eyes widened slowly at her firm gaze.

“Sleep at least eight hours. Otherwise, I’ll throw you out.”

“…!”

He nodded quickly. She gave a faint smile.

“Do you have family?”

“…My mother and younger sister.”

He didn’t look older than twenty.

“How old is your sister?”

“She’s about to turn ten.”

“I see.”

Murmuring, Ramein stood up.

“Lodeel, you may go now. Make sure you keep your promise.”

“Yes, Madam! Thank you! Thank you!”

The man sprang to his feet, bowing repeatedly as he left. Ramein returned to the table. On the paper she had given him was a list of low-carbohydrate, high-fat foods.

‘There aren’t any anticonvulsants, so this is probably the best I can do.’

It was only the most basic prescription a doctor could give.

“Hmm…”

She sat lost in thought in front of the untouched food. After a while, she slowly lifted her lowered gaze and spoke.

“Jane. I need to see Cedric.”