The slums.
Where those closest to death dwell.
Yet, a place where one cannot expect any medical benefits.
The downside of capitalism is the wealth gap, but the downside of feudalism is too tedious to mention one by one.
“It’s serious.”
Sena, tending to the patient, lowered his gaze.
For nearly a year, the most critical patient he had seen was Astria, but Serilda’s brother was in an even worse condition.
[0]
When the number reached zero, it meant death within an hour.
How much time was left? 30 minutes? 10 minutes?
One thing was certain: there was no time to hesitate.
Sena hurriedly prepared for treatment and asked Serilda,
“What are the symptoms?”
“About a year ago, he suddenly started vomiting blood and collapsed. His fever is severe, and he struggles to breathe… Recently, he hasn’t been fully conscious for even an hour.”
Difficulty breathing, hemoptysis. Is it a respiratory illness?
Sena placed his hand on Astin’s body and checked internally. There were no abnormalities in the brain. The fever was severe.
Pneumonia? No, it couldn’t be that if it hadn’t spread to Serilda. Moreover, it’s not easy for such a state to occur within a year of the symptoms appearing.
This is pulmonary tuberculosis.
“Has he ever complained of chest tightness or anything like that?”
“Yes. He often said his chest hurt.”
He focused on Astin’s lungs with his ‘Medicine’.
Sure enough, there were small nodules inside the lungs. Fortunately, they weren’t so damaged as to be inoperable.
However, there was another reason for such a serious condition.
…It could be understood even without using abilities.
Malnutrition. Astin appeared emaciated, and the most dangerous thing for a pulmonary tuberculosis patient is malnutrition.
The situation was dire. Whether he could be saved or not,
“Will Astin be okay?”
“We’ll find out.”
Sena clenched his jaw and closed his eyes. Surgery was necessary. A lobectomy to remove the tuberculosis confined to a certain part of the lung.
Ideally, he should first get Astin out of malnutrition, but there was no time for that. He hoped with all his strength that Astin could withstand it.
Sena began the lobectomy without hesitation.
First, check the scope. It was essential to cut out the lung as minimally as possible.
Luck was on their side. It seemed possible to remove the tuberculosis by cutting out only one lobe of the lung. That should pose no problem for daily life.
The problem was…
‘It’s gotta be quick.’
Leaving the excised lobe inside the body could cause serious complications. To avoid that, the excised lobe needed to be removed from the body by resecting the chest.
“Serilda.”
“Yes, yes.”
“Do you trust me?”
Serilda spoke without hesitation.
“Yes.”
“Then, close your eyes for just 10 seconds. Don’t open them under any circumstances.”
“Yes.”
“10.”
Serilda tightly shut her eyes.
Simultaneously, Sena’s pupils lit up brightly.
“9.”
He undressed Astin. With his flesh exposed, Sena focused on both sides of the chest.
“8.”
He precisely pointed to the chest with his fingers.
As he slowly made an incision above the lungs, the skin parted.
“7.”
A dirty environment.
Opening a patient’s chest in such conditions was madness.
However, this body was quite useful in a time-limited situation.
Whether this was what they called “an iron body” in martial arts novels, Sena didn’t know, but not only toxins but also bacteria would perish upon contact with his body.
In other words, Sena’s body was in a perfectly sterile condition.
“6.”
Sena cut the lobe with a steady hand.
“5.”
Blood spattered on his face through the cracked chest.
But Sena didn’t even blink and immediately reached into the gap in the chest.
In an instant, he grabbed the excised lobe, pulled it out, and placed it on a tray.
“4.”
As he attempted to close the chest, Sena’s fingers trembled.
[0]
The numbers didn’t return. Astin’s chest, which had been steadily rising and falling, showed no response at all.
It was cardiac arrest.
Without hesitation, Sena plunged his hand deep into Astin’s chest.
He grasped the heart and began stimulating it rhythmically.
“3.”
Sena’s counting stopped.
Although ten seconds had passed, Serilda still hadn’t opened her eyes.
It was well after that when Sena spoke again.
“2.”
Thump.
Feeling the strong heartbeat, Sena withdrew his hand.
Concentrating for a moment, he sutured the chest and exhaled.
“1. You can open your eyes now. You did well, enduring.”
Serilda opened her eyes.
“…!”
Sena was covered in blood.
And Astin, lying much more comfortably than before.
Sena wiped his face with his sleeve. The blood splatter was uncomfortably warm on his skin.
“We’ll have to monitor his progress, but the urgent issue is resolved.”
[382]
The numbers changed. It was dynamic compared to zero, but it wasn’t a reassuring number. Perhaps the issue of malnutrition hadn’t been resolved.
All that was left was ample rest, good food, and sleep.
“Your brother will probably be fine now.”
Hearing the longed-for words, Serilda grabbed Sena and burst into tears.
**
The night passed.
As the gloomy dawn approached, Sena would often reflect on the meaning of his name.
Just before morning.
Sena found the name feminine and didn’t like it much, but he didn’t consider changing it because he liked its meaning.
It was something filled with hope, wasn’t it?
Sena wanted to be like the meaning of his name to someone—a morning.
Even if it’s a bit dark now and visibility isn’t great, morning will come without fail.
If you know that, night isn’t scary anymore, nor is it a lonely existence; it becomes a pleasant time of awaiting morning.
This time was like that, too.
Sena wanted to be the morning for Serilda.
“You can leave now… I can’t cause any more trouble.”
“But we’ve only finished the urgent matter. We still need to monitor his condition.”
“…Yes.”
Serilda spoke softly.
She couldn’t refuse, especially when she was worried about Astin.
Even in this situation, she found her own selfishness repulsive.
In front of Sena, who came to help without a moment’s hesitation, especially after a maid stole money, she felt even more so.
At the same time, a desire to serve him welled up within her.
‘But that’s not possible.’
Serilda bit her lip.
‘I shouldn’t dream of such things.’
As the crisis passed, she gradually realized the reality of the situation.
What she had done to Sena.
Helping was helping, but sin was still sin.
The sin didn’t disappear.
After that, a quiet time passed. Serilda waited for words of reproach.
But why didn’t Sena say anything?
“…A-Are you mad at me?”
Serilda asked with her head bowed, her voice barely audible. Strands of her chestnut hair touched her lips.
Sena glanced at her once and then fixed his gaze on Astin again.
“Of course, I’m angry.”
“…Yes.”
It was all too natural.
No matter how kind Sena was, he couldn’t forgive her, a maid, for stealing money.
“I’m sorry. I’ll definitely pay for my sins. And the money, I’ll definitely…”
“No, I wasn’t angry because you stole money.”
Sena said, looking directly at Serilda.
“I was angry because you didn’t trust me.”
“…!”
“Why didn’t you speak up sooner? If you had been just an hour, no, even thirty minutes later, your brother would’ve died.”
Serilda was just dumbfounded. Sena smiled faintly.
“But still, I’ll give you as much credit as you deserve for coming to me. You did well. You made the best judgment and choice to save your brother.”
“Oh.”
Serilda was speechless.
She betrayed such a person.
Even if she regretted it, it was already too late.
…She felt remorseful.
She thought her tears had dried up earlier, but they flowed again.
“I’m sorry… I’m really, truly sorry.”
“You were thankful earlier, and now you’re apologizing.”
Sena gently stroked Serilda’s head.
“I don’t need you to repay me with your life for that.”
“…No, there’s no need for that. What can I do for you?”
Sena’s eyes cooled.
He fixed his gaze on Astin again.
Astin, who had been lying still like a mouse, blinked his eyelids thinly.
“He’ll wake up soon.”
Sena stood up. Since the condition was stable, it was time to leave.
Now it was time to explain the precautions to the guardian.
“Listen carefully. Your brother’s deteriorating condition is partly due to the illness, but the fundamental cause is malnutrition. He needs to eat well.”
“Yes.”
“The environment is also an issue. There’s too much dust here. It’s fatal for someone with lung disease. If possible, you should move. Can you do that?”
Serilda couldn’t easily answer.
Even though Sena had saved her life with his kindness, there was no one in this world who would employ a maid who had stolen her master’s money.
And the environment issue…
Serilda wasn’t in a position to move out of the slums.
“Don’t worry, I’ll provide the money.”
“Y-yes?”
“Huh? Should I say it again? I’ll give you the money.”
“I-I can’t accept it.”
Serilda hastily got up, forgetting her tears.
“I stole your money, Lord Sena. Even if I repay it, it won’t be enough…”
Serilda was bewildered. Why was he going to such lengths? She had never done anything to deserve this kind of help.
Sena tousled Serilda’s already disheveled hair. Though she was already a mess, now she looked even more disheveled as she gazed at Sena with blank eyes.
“It must have been hard taking care of your little brother, huh?”
With that brief statement, Serilda’s past flashed before her eyes.
At the age of 8, she lost her parents and ended up in the slums with her 3-year-old brother.
He was her only family left, her precious family, her reason for living.
So even though it was so hard, she never let go of his hand until the end.
But sometimes it was so unbearably tough.
Countless nights she cried silently, trying to hide her tears from her brother.
She was only 8 years old. She was supposed to be taken care of, too.
But no one acknowledged that. No one ever acknowledged it, and she never brought it up to anyone.
But just now, with Sena’s words, it felt like she was receiving compensation for all those days.
“If you can’t handle the responsibility, I wouldn’t have helped you from the start. Both you and I are the same in that regard.”
Sena took out a pouch of gold from his pocket and held it out.
“Take it. Feed him something delicious, and move to a better environment.”
Serilda couldn’t say anything.
In the warmth she was feeling for the first time, she just bowed her head and let the tears flow.
“Don’t cry. Consider it a lifetime salary in advance. You’re my maid now, and there’s nothing you can do about it.”
**
Sena was in a bind.
It was all well and good to put up a front, but in the end, he was out of money again.
But was it embarrassing to rummage through his pouch and count out gold again at this timing?
‘What should I do?’
In the end, the only thing one could trust was one’s gold.
At this point, he was not sure who had the gold.
“Your Highness, please pay in advance.”
“…Again?”
Even in her drowsiness, Astria looked at him with a puzzled expression.
“Hmm, hmm.”
Sena coughed awkwardly after speaking, feeling embarrassed.
“Where did the money I gave you yesterday go?”
“…I gave it to the maid.”
Astria shot him a look that seemed to say he was the most pathetic person in the world.
“What a gullible fool.”
Still, Astria granted his request.
