OPDSP 31

“An emergency situation?”

“It’s when a patient is in such a serious condition that the military doctor can’t handle it alone, or when a large number of patients show up at the same time.”

“I see.”

“When you’re out on the Great Purge, there’s always at least one emergency. It doesn’t hurt to be careful.”

“Yes. I’ll be careful.”

Aeryl accepted Jenx’s advice. He treated the patients who needed to be sent back into rotation starting tomorrow first, then sat down at the ward’s desk. He’d been told that during standby time, personal tasks were allowed.

“Thanks to you, Aeryl, things are a bit more relaxed now. I’m going to check in with Lady Kyla!”

Kyla had been on the combat unit yesterday, so she was resting until lunchtime today. It was said that those on combat duty usually got a day off.

‘Going on combat duty three days in a row really is too much.’

The soldiers hadn’t been severely injured, and since they refused treatment, that was the only reason they managed to hold out.

Once Jenx left the ward tent, the surroundings quickly quieted down. The patients were sleeping after taking their medicine. Aeryl had already been told by Beryl that it would be a quiet day, so he’d brought something to occupy his time.

Aeryl took out a pouch of herbs. These were the ones he’d picked in the forest yesterday. Even though he’d sat on them without mercy, thankfully they weren’t damaged.

‘Good thing I didn’t have to go out twice.’

Just thinking about encountering a ghost wolf again sent a chill down his spine. That little thing had looked like an unfinished lump of clay—oddly cute.

‘They said something unusual happened… So what’s going to come of that?’

Just hearing the word “unusual” gave him a bad feeling. Would the Grand Duke tell him if he asked? The thought of seeing the Grand Duke again at midnight made him uneasy all over again.

‘Should I not have ignored the pheromones earlier? There’s still so much I have to teach him… What am I going to do…’

Lost in thought, Aeryl continued trimming the herbs.

Tap, tap.

Someone tapped the table. Aeryl looked up in surprise and saw a familiar face.

‘That’s the medic I saw before.’

It was another medic who’d been with them on the combat unit with Fedel. If he remembered correctly, his name was Ronar.

“Have some tea while you work.”

Ronar offered him a steaming teacup.

“Thank you.”

Aeryl accepted the cup but didn’t feel like drinking it, so he simply placed it on the table.

‘I really don’t like this guy’s vibe.’

It was Ronar who had testified that Fedel was spreading false rumors about Aeryl. Technically, that meant Aeryl owed him, but he still didn’t feel good about it.

Ronar had known from the beginning that Fedel was lying, but just watched from the sidelines. Only after Aeryl raised the issue did he suddenly show up and reveal the truth. It didn’t leave a good impression.

Maybe he just hadn’t wanted to get involved. Maybe he didn’t want to draw attention to himself. But that was only understandable under normal circumstances.

This was the Great Purge. Fedel’s actions could have jeopardized the entire operation. And yet Ronar had pretended ignorance—that seemed suspicious.

“This tea helps with fatigue. The military physicians really like it, so I always make sure to have some on hand.”

“I see. I’ll enjoy it.”

He wasn’t going to drink it. You don’t put anything in your mouth when it’s offered by a shady guy. Aeryl smiled politely and turned his attention back to the herbs. It was a silent signal for him to leave.

But Ronar kept talking.

“You’re working on herbs? That’s something we usually handle. Want me to take over?”

“No, thank you. These herbs are for my personal use.”

“Ah, I see. You picked them yesterday with the soldiers, right?”

It sounded like an innocent enough question, but Aeryl thought to himself:

‘What’s this bastard up to?’

Aeryl had said the herbs were for personal use. In response, Ronar pointed out that he had gone to gather them with the soldiers.

Soldiers can’t be used for personal tasks. And leaving the base requires the Grand Duke’s permission. Which means the herb gathering had been official business, and the herbs were meant for the purge.

In other words, Ronar was basically saying, “Those herbs aren’t for personal use, are they?” He was subtly accusing Aeryl of lying.

‘Maybe I’m just thinking too much like someone from the imperial palace…’

But his instincts—honed over years—were warning him. This guy was suspicious. And like Jenx said, there’s no harm in being careful.

“You must be pretty interested in herbs.”

“Yes, I’m a doctor too. What are those for?”

“I think they might help with muscle relaxation.”

“Muscle relaxation, huh.”

“Yes. During combat, it’s easy for muscles to get overworked. But it’s hard to treat every single case with healing magic, so I’m thinking of alternatives.”

Aeryl lied without a blink.

“Hope it works. If you ever run into difficulties, don’t hesitate to ask.”

“Thank you.”

Aeryl kept a friendly smile on his face as he saw Ronar off. Ronar smiled as well, giving a polite farewell before stepping out of the ward.

As he closed the door behind him, Ronar glanced back. In the distance, he could see Aeryl, focused on trimming herbs. On his table sat the teacup, still untouched.

“…Sharp instincts.”

Ronar murmured quietly. The old saying that beautiful people lack awareness didn’t seem to apply to that one.

“Ronar, let’s go eat.”

A fellow medic approached with an innocent expression.

“Sounds good. Let’s hurry so we’re first in line.”

Ronar walked off with the other medic. The atmosphere at the camp was peaceful—so much so, it was hard to believe they were still in the forest. The tension that had hung in the air like a haze just the day before had now completely vanished. Ronar glanced around, his expression momentarily displeased, then asked his companion:

“Where’s Fedel?”

“Fedel? You know that blue tent near the stables? He should be there.”

“Really?”

“Yeah, I saw soldiers guarding him. Honestly, now that I think about it, he always acted like he was better than everyone else. It made things uncomfortable.”

“Did he?”

“You were the one who complained the most. Did you forget already?”

“Haha. Every moment feels new to me these days. I must be getting old—my memory’s going.”

Ronar joked with a laugh, and the other medic laughed too. Whatever discomfort the medic had briefly felt was lost in that laughter.

***

Midnight arrived.

‘I have to go…’

Aeryl forced his reluctant feet to move. Just because he didn’t want to see the Grand Duke’s face didn’t mean he could neglect a patient. Thanks to the medicine, the Grand Duke had stabilized, but without knowing the cause or treating it properly, there was no room to relax.

‘Aeryl, you’re finally doing the medical work you’ve always wanted to. Hang in there.’

He quietly soothed his heart as he arrived at the Grand Duke’s tent.

Knock knock.

The fact that Aeryl knocked—something he hadn’t done before—betrayed his hesitation. There was no reply, but pressing his ear to the flap, he could hear the Grand Duke shuffling papers inside.

“Haa!”

Aeryl let out a loud breath to psych himself up, then stepped into the tent. The Grand Duke, sensing Aeryl’s presence, was just rising from his chair. Their eyes met. The Grand Duke’s gaze, looking down at Aeryl, was as cold as frost.

“Good evening, Your Grace. Have you been well?”

Aeryl greeted him as if everything were normal, putting on the habitual smile he’d perfected at the imperial palace.

“Please sit. You’re much better, but I’ll examine you as usual.”

Aeryl sat on the chair beside the bed and gestured for the Grand Duke to sit as well. The Grand Duke sat at the edge of the bed, silently staring at Aeryl.

‘Why is he staring like that?’

To hide his discomfort, Aeryl smiled even more brightly.

“You’re like a royal when you sit like that.”

For a moment, his expression nearly cracked.

“Is that so? I wouldn’t know—I’m a fallen noble. I’m not familiar with royalty.”

Aeryl laughed lightly, as if he’d just heard a funny joke. But something about that didn’t sit right with the Grand Duke—his brow furrowed.

“You’re both equally fake.”

What? Is he picking a fight now? What’s his problem?

Aeryl was annoyed, but he kept smiling. Looking like someone with no inner thoughts was something he was just as skilled at as medicine.

The Grand Duke stared at Aeryl’s face for a while, then sighed briefly and ran a hand through his hair in frustration. Whatever he was about to say, Aeryl braced himself for it—ready not to be hurt.

But the Grand Duke’s words made all that preparation meaningless.

“…I’m sorry about yesterday.”

Aeryl doubted his own ears. Did the Grand Duke just… apologize to him? Seriously?

He was so stunned, the confident smile he’d been wearing completely crumbled.

“The insults toward omegas—that was my fault. I shouldn’t have said those things. I understand why you were angry.”

‘He really just apologized. I didn’t hear that wrong.’

And once Aeryl had accepted that—what followed was shock.

Why is he apologizing? People like him never admit they’re wrong—not even if it kills them.