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Chapter 29 – The Makings of A Womanizer
I ran a traditional Korean medicine clinic in a back alley.
Patients with unique personalities often came by.
There must be someone like the girl right in front of me.
“Now, hurry up and treat this girl!”
Mary commanded, brimming with confidence and arrogance.
That command infuriated Nureongi.
“What on earth is that attitude?”
“Quite the arrogant young lady.”
“…Mr. Nak-yong? When did you arrive?”
“Just now. I must keep the true essence of your diagnosis firmly in mind, you see.”
I nodded.
It’s beneficial for me if Nak-yong improves his skills.
There’s no downside to having more capable doctors.
“Then, Ms. Mary…”
“Just call me Mary! Hehe!”
“What brought you here? What’s bothering you?”
“That’s right.”
Mary thought for a moment, then continued.
“I’ve been feeling tired more often lately.
“Fatigue… and is there anything else?”
“My skin seems a bit duller, and my arms and back ache sometimes.”
“Isn’t that just because you’re getting older?”
“What did you just say?”
“I-I didn’t say anything!”
Mary snapped.
Whether or not Nureongi had hit the nail on the head, she glared at him. He quickly hid behind me.
“Yo-Young Master! Did you figure something out?”
“I’m thinking.”
Fatigue and dull skin.
Plus, aching arms and back?
That meant there was a problem with the joints.
“This is tough.”
It definitely felt like the difficulty level had increased.
It probably wasn’t a disease related to traditional Korean medicine. But that didn’t mean it was an entirely unknown illness. It didn’t seem like I couldn’t treat the patient.
“Looks like you’re quite troubled.”
“There are too few clues. I need more details.”
I took Mary into the house.
Then, I formally began questioning her.
“What are your usual daily habits?”
“I sleep during the day and am active at night.”
“As expected of a vampire. Is sunlight okay for you?”
“Of course! I am the Vampire Lord, after all!”
Mary smiled with overflowing confidence.
Her sleep pattern didn’t seem problematic.
When she was tired, she felt fatigued, and her skin grew dull.
But joint issues rarely occurred.
“Then what about your eating habits?”
“Blood, of course! It’s a lifestyle I’ve maintained for thousands of years.”
“Blood?”
“Lately, I’ve been drinking troll blood. They say it’s good for the skin. The taste wasn’t particularly pleasant, though.”
The word “blood” struck a chord within me.
But I still wasn’t certain.
For final confirmation, I asked Mary.
“I’d like to examine your body briefly.”
“…A maiden’s innermost parts are forbidden territory, you know?”
“I’m just looking on the surface.”
I immediately activated my Spiritual Eyes.
[Skill: Spiritual Eyes activated.]Then, Mary’s body became clearly visible.
Of course, not her innermost parts, but what lay beyond them.
Her organs and nervous system were visible.
I could spot the problem.
“There’s an issue with your liver, heart, and pancreas, isn’t there?”
“Huh? That can’t be!”
“You didn’t know?”
“I’m a vampire lord, aren’t I? I have immense regenerative abilities. There’s no way my organs could be having problems.”
“Oh!”
Mary said, full of confidence.
But I’d seen cases where regenerative abilities couldn’t overcome disease.
Take the trolls, for instance.
Their regenerative powers actually made them susceptible to rheumatoid arthritis.
And now?
“I’ve identified your illness, Mary.”
By piecing together various clues, I’d deduced the name of her disease.
“What disease is afflicting this girl?”
“Indeed! What kind of illness is it?” Nureongi said.
“Interesting,” said Nak-yong.
All eyes turned to me.
I slowly declared to the three of them,
“Ms. Mary has hemochromatosis.”
That is the name of the disease.”
* * *
“What exactly is hemochromatosis?”
Mary tilted her head at my words.
I began to explain.
“Hemochromatosis is a disease also known as iron pigment deposition disorder.”
“Oh, that’s a name I’ve never heard before.”
A spark of interest lit up her eyes.
It seemed she was starting to trust my expertise.
But her questions weren’t over.
“But why do you think that?”
“Because hemochromatosis shows symptoms like fatigue, headaches, skin discoloration, and joint pain.”
“But there must be many diseases with similar symptoms.”
“Of course. But the reason I diagnosed your condition as hemochromatosis isn’t just that.”
I had multiple reasons.
The evidence that she had hemochromatosis was that,
“When hemochromatosis worsens, it affects organs like the liver, heart, and pancreas.”
“Huh? And?”
“Above all, I found clues in Ms. Mary’s eating habits.
“My eating habits? You mean drinking blood?”
“That’s correct.”
Mary let out a wry smile when I nodded.
“Drinking blood is an inescapable fate for a vampire, right? But that can’t possibly be the problem, can it?”
“You’re right. A vampire naturally lives by drinking blood. But… Ms. Mary’s period is a bit long.”
“Long?”
“Didn’t you say it yourself earlier? That you’ve been drinking blood for thousands of years? But what about other vampires?”
“…At most a few hundred years, I suppose.”
Mary only realized the problem now.
She nodded as if sensing something was off.
“Hemochromatosis is a disease caused by iron accumulating in the body. Since Ms. Mary has been drinking blood for thousands of years, that’s probably why she developed the disease.”
“But that’s strange, isn’t it? If such a disease exists, it wouldn’t be unusual for it to have developed much sooner.”
“That’s probably partly because you’re a woman, Ms. Mary.”
“Because I’m a girl?”
“Women periodically expel blood through menstruation.”
“Ah.”
Mary flushed and looked away.
But it wasn’t an embarrassing topic.
It was all perfectly natural.
In fact, it was thanks to this that Mary could delay the onset of hemochromatosis.
“You truly are a divine doctor.”
Her face still flushed, Mary looked at me and praised me.
“I never imagined you’d recognize this girl’s illness so quickly. You truly live up to your name.”
“You flatter me.”
“So, what should I do now?”
I shook my head at her question.
“Ms. Mary, you just need to stay still.”
It’s my job to do something.
* * *
Mary changed into the robe that I had prepared in advance.
Was it because she was so beautiful?
Even in the robe, she exuded an air of nobility.
So much so that…
“It looks like a photoshoot!”
Nureongi was impressed, too.
But that moment only lasted a second.
“As expected of this girl! Even in these shabby rags, I’m beautiful!”
Upon hearing this, Nureongi frowned.
“Young Master, shouldn’t we send that woman to a mental hospital?”
“…Shh, she might hear.”
Besides, I’ve dealt with similar people before, so it’s fine. There were plenty of strange individuals among the awakeners.
Take Sword Saint Kang Jiyeon, an S-rank awakener, for example. She was always that kind of woman, overflowing with confidence.
“I wonder how she’s doing?”
She was always the one worrying about marriage in front of me.
For some reason, she never found a man who caught her eye.
While treating her, I’d often offer words of comfort.
It seemed like the pointless worry of someone who had it all.
“So, what’s the plan?”
“Ms. Mary’s treatment consists of three stages.”
“Three stages?”
“First, we’ll perform acupuncture. The needles will activate liver and spleen functions, which will aid iron metabolism and improve circulation.”
“What about the second stage?”
“A prescription of herbal medicine. You must take it, even if it tastes awful.”
When I stared at her, Mary avoided my gaze.
“You absolutely must take it.”
“Ah, I understand! I’m a girl who gets things done when I need to!”
“Good. Finally, you must come periodically for bloodletting. We need to regulate the iron levels in your body.”
“…My blood?”
Mary narrowed her eyes sharply.
I was taken aback by her expression.
“Is that a problem?”
“It seems you really don’t know anything.”
Mary sighed and explained.
“The blood of a Vampire Lord is extremely precious. If another monster drinks it, they can instantly become a higher-ranked vampire.”
“Indeed.
“But you said you needed to draw blood. You must have some ulterior motive, right?”
Mary’s sharp question left me speechless.
But I understood soon enough.
I’d seen a similar case before.
It was with the trolls.
“They said they were often targeted for their blood, too.”
That meant Mary had surely suffered similar hardships.
The sharp edge in her tone was proof enough.
Thinking of the struggles she must have endured, I felt a pang of sympathy.
So, I spoke to her gently.
“You must have gone through a lot.”
“Huh?”
“You must have endured immense hardship because of those who covet your blood. That’s why you’re so sensitive, I suppose.”
“…You’re right.”
Mary let out a deep sigh.
“This girl’s blood is incredibly precious. Because of that, I’ve been attacked more times than I can count. Because of that, I think I was unnecessarily sensitive toward you. I’m sorry.”
“No, it’s fine. I would have done the same if I were in your place.”
Upon hearing this, Mary’s eyes widened.
She seemed touched by what I said.
To ease her wariness, I continued.
“I don’t think you did anything wrong, Mary. It’s those who coveted your blood who are at fault.”
“Weren’t you angry? I rashly suspected you…”
“It’s fine. I understand everything.”
I placed my hand on Mary’s shoulder and continued.
“If you wish, you may take the drawn blood with you. Please be sure to draw blood periodically.”
At my earnest plea, Mary frowned.
Then, as if she didn’t understand, she asked,
“Why are you so earnest about this? There’s no reason for you to ask me that.”
She was right.
Even if I hadn’t drawn her blood, it was her problem to handle.
But I wanted Mary to stay healthy.
That’s what doctors do.
So, I looked Mary straight in the eye and said,
“I want you to stay healthy, Mary.”
The moment I said that,
“I understand.”
Mary nodded, her face flushing.
It seemed she had understood my words after all.
I felt satisfied at having persuaded her.
Meanwhile,
“Isn’t the Vampire Lord too easy?”
“Good heavens! You seem to have the makings of a womanizer after all.”
Nureongi and Nak-yong shook their heads in disbelief.
“What are you all talking about?”
“That’s how it is.”
“I can’t understand why you’re still unmarried.”
I tilted my head, puzzled by the remark.
Meanwhile, Mary grabbed my coat sleeve.
“Th-that… When will you start treating this girl?”
Her face flushed.
She seemed embarrassed to remain in her robe.
To spare her that discomfort, I immediately took out my needle.
“Then I’ll begin right away. I’ll do my best to make it as painless as possible.”
“This girl can handle a little pain…”
“Huh?”
“Ah, it’s nothing!”
Suddenly, Mary’s demeanor changed.
Was something bothering her?
For her sake, I needed to finish the treatment quickly.
“Then I’ll begin.”
I’ll apply acupuncture to the Gansu, Bi, Jungwan, and Gokji points.
[T/N: Gansu is the "Liver Shu Point," located on the back and associated with the liver meridian. Bi is the "Spleen Shu Point" and is also located on the back and is associated with the spleen. Jungwan is the "Middle Cavity Point" located on the abdomen and associated with the stomach and digestion. Gokji, or "Crooked Pool Point," is located at the elbow crease and is commonly used to treat fever or inflammation.]These four points.
To treat all of them, Mary would need to remove her robe.
Therefore, I told Mary to cover her body artificially if possible.
Mary then made something resembling underwear out of blood.
“Then I’ll start with the Bi point.”
With that, I brought the needle to Mary’s back.
But…
“Huh?”
Something strange happened.
The needle wouldn’t pierce her skin!
This strange occurrence flustered me.
I tried forcing the needle in with all my strength.
At that moment—
Clink!
The needle bent!
Looking at the bent needle, I gave a wry smile.
“As expected of an intermediate-level dimensional gate.”
This treatment is going to be anything but easy.
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