Chapter 147 |
“Is that so?” The second prince, Teodor, recoiled in disbelief. His ears struggled to accept the words they had just heard, giving rise to doubts.
“Will my brother not live for another year?” Could it be that his brother was playing a cruel prank on him? That’s what first crossed his mind. He would rather believe that. After all, it was his brother, who had defeated him fairly in competition. It was his brother, who had displayed heroic feats during the Anbouaz civil war. It was his brother, whose well-being was known far and wide.
He wanted to have faith in that.
However, when Teodor locked eyes with his half-brother, the crown prince, he came to a harsh realization. The words uttered by the crown prince were no jest.
“Yes. I understand this may be bewildering, and I apologize for springing this on you suddenly. However, it’s unavoidable. If this truth will inevitably come to light, it’s better to disclose it to you now.”
Teodor remained silent.
“Originally, only my personal physician, Gardin, and I were privy to this knowledge — the fact that I have less than a year to live.”
“Is it…true?”
“Yes.”
It was partly true.
Raciel nodded serenely. He gazed deeply into Teodor’s eyes, which were brimming with concern, and remained silent for a moment. That deliberate, awkward silence conveyed a deeper truth to the second prince’s heart than a hundred words ever could.
“Then…”
Just as the second prince was becoming bewildered, Raciel chose his words carefully.
“I understand. It’s hard to believe, isn’t it? I struggle to accept it myself.”
“Brother…”
“Honestly, I’m frightened. No one knows when I might suddenly collapse or be unable to fulfill my duties as a human being. Starting tomorrow morning, I could become incapacitated.”
Teodor stayed silent.
“That’s why I began tending to patients at the Star Palace and journeyed all the way to Anbouaz to care for the wounded. I’ve been trying to help as many people as possible.”
“Is that related to your illness?” Teodor asked cautiously.
Raciel chuckled.
He told blatant lies.
“No.”
He shrugged.
“It has nothing to do with me. It’s more about you.”
“Me?”
“Yes.”
Teodor was taken aback.
He gave Raciel a meaningful look.
“I thought that if I could spread some goodness in the world, it might benefit my successor. I can’t be certain, but I hoped it would work out that way. It’s a kind of vague hope.”
“Then…”
“Yes. Who do you think that successor would be?”
“You cared for and saved countless patients for my sake?”
“Hmm, saying it out loud makes it sound quite awkward.”
Raciel smiled, but his eyes filled with even more melancholy. In essence, while his mouth smiled, his eyes revealed sadness.
“So, I’m truly sorry.”
His tone grew even more melancholic, though he didn’t make it obvious. Instead, he tried to conceal it, allowing the awkward and lonely atmosphere to seep in unconsciously. He blended truth and lies in a delicate balance as he spoke.
“I really had no idea you were suffering such a profound loss. I never imagined you were this shattered.”
“Brother, I…”
“No, you’ve done nothing wrong. If there’s any blame, it’s mine. The times when I was indifferent to you, the days when I was lost in my own thoughts. If I had known you were enduring such hardships, I wouldn’t have challenged you that day…”
Teodor remained silent.
“I should have stepped aside that day. I should have heeded His Majesty’s counsel and passed the crown prince title to you. Then you wouldn’t have had to endure such difficult times. I was too selfish.”
“But Brother, this is all my fault. It’s not your fault.”
Teodor hurriedly protested, but Raciel shook his head calmly yet heavily.
“No.”
Sighs and words escaped him, a blend of breath and speech, carrying a weight. Then he continued.
“It’s entirely my fault. While you’re falling apart like this, I’ve shown no concern, and as a result, I’ve cast a shadow over the future of the royal family. It’s all due to my negligence.”
“Brother…”
“I’m sorry. Truly.”
He reached out his hand. Theodor gently grasped it. At that moment, he softly loosened his grip. Yet, as if trying to apply more strength to the hand, he trembled.
“I’m… sorry.”
He uttered the words. Bowed his head. As if to apologize. He bowed even deeper. Thanks to that, he could conceal his expression. It gave his facial muscles, which had been tense from constant acting, a brief respite.
‘Phew! Well done. The result should start to show now.’
Raciel was confident.
Enough emotional triggers have been planted. It’s time for them to take effect. So, counting down mentally, three, two, one…
“It’s not your fault, Brother! It’s not your fault!”
…There it is.
The moment Theodor’s impassioned voice reached him, Raciel shouted in delight. But he deliberately did not react. He just kept his head deeply bowed. Perhaps due to this, Theodor spoke with an increasingly trembling voice.
“It’s my fault, Brother. There’s nothing wrong with you. It’s just that I’m flawed. Just because I lost to you, because I didn’t get the position I wanted… it’s my fault for suffering over such trivial matters, Brother.”
“…”
“In addition, I… didn’t even know that you were suffering alone like this. I’m the one who’s flawed, throwing tantrums over petty matters. I’m truly sorry.”
“…Theodor.”
“Yes, Brother.”
“Don’t apologize to me.”
“…Yes?”
When he lifted his head, Theodor was on the verge of tears. He looked straight into Theodor’s eyes and said,
“Theodor, you have no reason to apologize to me. But if you do feel remorse, you should direct it toward the great ancestors of the royal family and the countless people of the empire who are entrusting their future to you.”
“…”
“And if you’re going to carry that guilt, you should also demonstrate how you plan to make amends.”
“Yes, Brother.”
“So what do you plan to do from now on?”
“I will, lose weight.”
“Good. Very good.”
Finally, the line he had been waiting for came from Theodor’s mouth! But Raciel did not prematurely celebrate. Instead, he quietly clenched his fist inwardly.
‘…Bingo!’
He had succeeded. By looking into the whites of Theodor’s swelling eyes, he could be certain. Those were the eyes of willpower ignited by proper motivation.
‘He is true to his character in the novel.’
He was a diligent and responsible model student. A bit frustrating and indecisive, but he would never abandon his responsibilities and run away.
He had perfectly prodded Theodor’s character. By indicating that he might not live much longer. That Theodor must become the successor. That if he remained like this, they would all be ruined.
He had dramatized the situation to turn his sensitivity into a sense of crisis, igniting his buried sense of responsibility and duty. His intentions had worked as planned.
“So, Theodor?”
“Yes, Brother.”
“I’m pleased to hear that you’re going to lose weight. May I offer one suggestion?”
“Please, go ahead, Brother.”
Theodor’s eyes shone so brightly they were almost overwhelming. He seemed ready to follow any command right now. Just perfect.
Raciel subtly hid his triumphant smile and said,
“You, come and live in the Star palace from today.”
“…Yes?”
“Since you’ve decided to lose weight, I want to assist you. Would that be acceptable?”
“Of course, it would be.”
“It would, right?”
“Yes, absolutely.”
“Thank you.”
Thud, thud.
He smiled faintly, patting the guy’s shoulder. With that, it was decided; the 2nd Prince of the Empire, Theodor, would embark on his weight loss journey at the retreat.
‘You’re now confined to this retreat until you shed those pounds. Haha!’
Thus, persuasion was successful.
It marked the beginning of an arduous diet regimen.
♣
‘…But if this darn diet takes too long, that’s going to be a problem.’
The following day, Raciel was deep in thought in the office of the Star Palace Oriental medicine clinic. He gazed out the window absentmindedly.
Where his gaze settled, there was a fountain adorning the garden. In the warm water that filled the fountain, he observed a hefty figure wading eagerly.
It was the 2nd Prince, Theodor.
“…”
At this moment, he wished he could have him jogging around the garden. However, with his current weight, such an activity would likely strain his knees, ankles, and joints. That would be a setback for the diet plan… truly frustrating.
‘So far, he’s been adhering to my program.’
Raciel furrowed his brow slightly. He recalled the previous night when he had brought the 2nd Prince to the Star Palace. He had instructed him to consume only the prescribed meals and perform the specified exercises, strictly adhering to the diet and exercise regimen.
Fortunately, he had been following it diligently. However, there was also unfortunate news.
‘He has too much weight to shed.’
Before commencing the diet, Raciel had conducted an examination. The result had been staggering. The 2nd Prince’s weight had measured at 151.3 kilograms. That was nearly 80 kilograms more than when they had competed at the Lloy-Javi bridge.
‘It will take at least a few months to lose 80 kilograms without harming his body.’
Even with a well-structured diet and rigorous exercise routine, it would take that long. And that posed a problem.
‘Can I delay the response to the marriage proposal until then? No, absolutely not.’
Such a delay would be impossible. Neither the emperor nor the senders of the marriage proposal would wait patiently for their response. Therefore, the 2nd Prince needed to slim down quickly and prepare for marriage.
In essence, the pressing issue at hand was finding a way to significantly accelerate the weight loss process without compromising his health.
“…”
No matter how much he pondered, no solutions came to mind.
Raciel let out a deep sigh.
He even contemplated using the court magician’s disguise magic, but he swiftly dismissed the idea. There could be unforeseen consequences if the magic were to wear off unexpectedly.
‘Sigh, I can’t think of a solution.’
Medicine?
If such a remedy existed, it would have likely been marketed already. Unfortunately, none existed. Raciel believed that most of the weight loss medications sold in Korean Oriental medicine clinics were scams. Thus, during his time running a clinic in Busan, Korea, he never offered such medicines.
‘Then what should I do?’
He spent the day pondering. Meanwhile, he examined and diagnosed numerous patients who had come to the clinic upon hearing news of the Crown Prince’s return. In the garden fountain, the 2nd Prince continued to walk diligently.
Then, in the evening,
“Your Majesty, a package from the Princess of Anbouaz has arrived at the retreat.”
“…Hmm?”
He was lost in thought during dinner when the clinic’s steward delivered unexpected news.
“A package? Sent by the Princess of Anbouaz?”
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
“…”
Then he recalled.
‘Aha, the Vesparos Queen Bee liqueur, it has finally arrived.’
Shortly before leaving the Anbouaz Kingdom’s army to join the rebels, he had requested a favor from the princess. And it seemed that the delivery had been completed.
He ceased eating and sprang up.
‘I can’t resist opening it!’
He was concerned about potential damage during transit, possible leakage of the brewed liqueur, or the growth of mold due to exposure to air. These concerns made it impossible for him to continue eating. Moreover, he had been burdened with worries throughout the day and needed a mental break.
‘Let’s take a look.’
He proceeded to the storage area where the package had been delivered and spotted a large oak barrel reminiscent of a massive water tank. It was the same barrel in which he had brewed the liqueur with Vesparos Queen Bee components at the Anbouaz medical camp.
With a mixture of anticipation and apprehension, Raciel ascended to unseal the lid. He scooped a small amount of the liqueur with a long ladle.
“Hmm.”
Thankfully, the color appeared to be fine. The scent was also acceptable. Then he addressed something in his pocket.
“Poboki?”
“Poki!”
As soon as he called, a response came instantly. Shortly after, the phoenix fish Poboki emerged from his pocket. Raciel extended the ladle towards the creature.
“It’s been a while, so I have a favor to ask. I acquired some delicious liqueur today.”
“Poki?”
“I truly want to share the flavor with you, my best friend. Would you like to be the first in the world to taste it?”
“Poki? ki?”
“This is genuinely expensive liqueur, you know.”
“Pobi!”
Upon hearing the word ‘expensive,’ Poboki’s eyes gleamed. Seizing the opportunity, Raciel discreetly offered the ladle. Poboki eagerly lunged at it.
“Poki! Poki!”
Gulp!
Without hesitation, Poboki consumed the liqueur in the ladle. And then… it keeled over.
“……Po bo ki!”
Ding-dong!
[Poboki the Phoenix Fish casts Skill <Oh, I’m Dead ㅠㅠ (Lv. 1)>]
Flap…!
Poboki shut its eyes dramatically as it plummeted down. The flame on its fin extinguished, and it even stuck out its tongue.
But it lasted only for a moment.
“……Pokii!”
Its eyes flickered open.
Ding-dong!
[Poboki the Phoenix Fish casts Skill <Resurrection! (Lv. 1)>]
[A Giant Stack 1 has been accumulated for Poboki the Phoenix Fish.]
Accompanied by the message, Poboki let out a deep sigh. Bemoaning its fate of always having to die whenever he indulged in food, it snapped off one of his fins. It also plucked out one of his fangs. And then…
Ding-dong!
[Poboki the Phoenix Fish casts Skill <Diary Writing (Lv. 1)>]
“Poki! Ki! Ki!”
Shhhhh!
While emitting a concentrated murmur, Poboki diligently recorded a report analyzing the ingredients of the Vesparos Queen Bee liqueur it had just consumed!
Meanwhile, Racielle discreetly approached it, squinting his eyes to decipher the tiny report that Poboki was penning.
As a result, he had a revelation shortly thereafter.
‘…Huh?’
Is this report I’m perusing genuine? It seems entirely authentic. So, does this imply…
‘If this Queen Bee liqueur is refined properly… could it be transformed into a genuine dietary supplement?’
Suddenly, a promising future unfolded before him, involving both a new drug clinical trial utilizing the second prince and a rapid weight loss double success.
(To be Continued)
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