LGHTNOVELBOOK Chapter 85
Episode 85. The Curse of the House of Serulice (2)
I really don’t like dealing with high-ranking nobles. Honestly, most of them are boors anyway. Even back at the Imperial Palace, those kinds of people were always a bother.
The Imperial Prince mentioned a few times that “other nobles wanted to meet me,” but I only showed up once or twice. Most of them just want to boss around busy people for no reason when they’re not even sick.
This is usually how I feel about them.
But… When the Duchess Serulice told me her three children were bedridden, it did tug at my heartstrings a little. I was curious what was going on too.
“I’ll give you whatever amount of money you ask for, please come to the manor and examine them.”
If it had been just one person, I wouldn’t have gone on a royal inspection. But since there were three patients, I decided to go.
“Is it far from the Academy?”
“We can get there in half a day.”
I nodded.
“Alright. Let’s schedule the royal inspection then.”
“Thank you so much…”
The Duchess let out a sigh of relief and covered her face with a fan. Just hearing that I would come seemed to put her greatly at ease.
I didn’t particularly want to go, but ultimately my curiosity and compassion won out. What kind of disease could make all three of this woman’s children fall ill?
And… Insanity? Seizures?
There are several possibilities. It could be a neurological or psychiatric condition, or perhaps something toxic in their environment.
The first thing that came to mind was schizophrenia. If it’s genetically linked schizophrenia, it’s possible the whole family could be affected. It’s an unusual case, but not impossible.
It could also be another genetic disorder. If we’re considering infectious diseases, maybe meningococcus. Though the chances of that seem slim.
Since the entire family is affected, it makes sense to suspect an infectious disease. But I can’t think of any specific ones that fit the conditions.
Still, if it’s genetic, it’s likely they’d have known about it by now, so it’s hard to say definitively. What exactly is going on here?
There might be some environmental toxin involved.
It seems more plausible that the illness stems from the environment rather than genetics. Maybe there’s been a change in their drinking water. Or perhaps strange mold in the basement has caused problems.
We’ll have to see it to know for sure.
No matter how much I thought about it, I couldn’t come up with a clear answer. The Duchess Serulice watched me as I pondered, almost as if she were evaluating me.
After checking my schedule, I spoke again.
“Then, I’ll see you at the Serulice Manor in a few days.”
“Please, save my children!”
“I’ll do my best.”
I wanted to promise everything would be fine, but I shouldn’t make promises until I’ve seen the situation. Too many lives or destinies depend on my words.
One is having seizures, one went insane, and one is bedridden. Is it Wilson’s Disease?
It could be familial Parkinson’s or early-onset dementia. Of course, based solely on this explanation, Parkinson’s seems a bit off.
If it were familial Parkinson’s, there would be very distinctive symptoms that they probably wouldn’t have failed to mention. A direct examination will help resolve these questions.
The Duchess left my clinic. Why does her family suffer such ailments?
Istina looked at the departing patient’s relative curiously.
“Who was that person?”
“The Duchess Serulice. She says all three of her children are sick and pleaded for me to come on a royal inspection.”
“Huh? Did you agree to go?”
“Yeah, I need to see what the disease is.”
I nodded.
This job requires a certain level of detachment. During emergency night shifts, there were times when I had to return to work just five minutes after filing a death report.
Still…
It’s not easy to imagine what a parent feels when three of their children are dying.
I’m not cold-hearted enough to ignore such a plea. Ideally, I’d solve it in a day, but it might take longer.
“Istina, are you coming too?”
“Ah, yes. I’ll go.”
Istina pulled out a notebook and scribbled something down. She was probably adding to the schedule, right?
“Prepare yourself then. We’ll head to the Serulice Manor as soon as the schedule aligns.”
Istina nodded. Thinking about it, I need to prepare too. I should update the schedule at the research lab.
Anyway…
After agreeing to the royal inspection, I entered the research lab to find Mint sitting on the lecture room sofa waiting for me.
Mint was flipping through a piece of paper expressionlessly until she saw me enter, then she lit up immediately.
“Oh, you’re here?”
“Princess Mint. Hello.”
“What took you so long?”
“Today, a special guest came, and we’ve set plans for a royal inspection. I’ll be gone for a day or two.”
“I see.”
Mint briefly fiddled with her hair before tapping the seat next to her. I sat down without saying anything, and Mint put down the paper she was reading and smiled brightly.
“Did someone collapse at the hospital?”
“It might have taken even longer if I hadn’t come.”
“Do you really have to go on this royal inspection? There’s a hospital here. If someone’s sick, they should come to the hospital, not keep running back and forth.”
“Well, I wasn’t planning to go either, but the parent I met earlier was pleading. They said all three of their children are bedridden. My heart softened a bit. Since there are three patients, I decided to go.”
“You’re too kind for your own good, Teacher.”
“That’s the first time anyone’s ever said that.”
Throughout my life, many people have expressed gratitude, but no one has ever called me “too kind.” I don’t even think of myself that way.
“Not always, though.”
Mint suddenly hugged me. So that’s why she asked me to sit beside her…
“Did something difficult happen?”
“No, not really.”
“Then why—”
“Teacher talks too much.”
At that point, I had nothing to say and closed my mouth. Mint grabbed one of my hands and intertwined our fingers. After a while, she spoke again.
“How long will the trip take?”
“I’m not entirely sure. My goal is to return within a day or two, but it might not be something easily resolved.”
“I want to come too.”
“Hmm, I can’t think of a proper excuse for the princess to come along. It’s just someone else’s house. I’ll be back at the academy soon.”
Mint nodded.
“Let’s hang out when you get back. The weather is getting nice.”
“Yes, let’s do that.”
I gave a short reply. Mint continued smiling brightly, holding onto me tightly and rubbing her cheek against my neck. That was unexpected…
I tapped her shoulder lightly.
“How long do you plan to stay like this?”
“Five more minutes.”
“Alright.”
Her personality has brightened, but her clingy side hasn’t changed much. Lately, it feels like taking care of a big dog. Can this be considered growth?
Honestly, I don’t know.
The Serulice Manor was closer than expected. It might just be because this time we rode horses instead of taking a carriage.
Istina was amazed.
“This is my first time riding a horse!”
“Is it?”
“We didn’t have horses at home.”
I had ridden before. There were horses at the Imperial Palace, though I didn’t ride often. Also, one servant from the Serulice household accompanied us to guide the way.
“This way, please.”
Soon, the Serulice mansion came into view. It was smaller than I expected. I thought they’d live in a fortress like in Imentia or Lapis.
Not quite. Instead, it was a grand mansion covered with ivy and flowers, looking quite old.
“Teacher.”
“Yes?”
“In your opinion, how sick are the young members of the House of Serulice? You must have seen them often while working at the mansion, right?”
The teacher paused for a moment.
The servant sent by the duchess was dressed like a butler but looked only slightly older than the academy students—a young man.
“I don’t really know much. However, they don’t seem close to death. Personally, I don’t think the illness they have is fatal.”
“Why?”
“They still handle important matters.”
Perhaps it’s some kind of mental illness then.
“Did you notice any bruises or injuries?”
“No, there weren’t any.”
That’s odd. Epileptic seizure patients should have bruises or injuries. While normal people instinctively avoid danger, seizure patients don’t.
Soon, we passed through the gates of the Serulice Manor. The sight was even more beautiful up close.
First, there was a pond inside the estate fence with a few fish swimming around. Colorful flowers surrounded the pond.
Even though I thought it was pretty, something like this could also be a cause. Certain pollens might trigger allergic reactions contributing to symptoms.
Anyway, we’ve arrived.
We dismounted from our horses and led them by the reins. The horses were appropriately tied up at the stable behind the mansion. The servant teacher moved toward the door.
“Have a pleasant visit. Please let us know if you need anything.”
I walked into the mansion with Istina. I haven’t found anything yet that could be the cause of the illness. It might not be environmental factors.
“Keep an eye out, Istina. We don’t know what’s causing the symptoms or why they’re sick yet. We need to find clues.”
“Yes.”
Istina nodded. Except for the steward we sent away earlier, the mansion seemed eerily empty. What’s going on?
I looked around. There are definitely some peculiar things here.