Don’t Tame It [Novel]

42.

“Is that even worth calling a remark?”

If it wasn’t a remark, then what was it?

Irene stared at him blankly, her eyes wide with confusion. Miguel snorted, convinced she was deliberately ignoring him.

“Hmph. That won’t last long, either. His Highness is a man who grows bored of everything quickly. You’d better enjoy it to the fullest while you still can.”

After delivering his sarcastic warning, Miguel turned on his heel and strode out without a word of farewell. Though she had no idea what he meant by “enjoying it,” Irene felt compelled to offer a polite parting response to his retreating back.

In any case, one must respond well to an elder’s words. That was the second social skill Irene had learned during her time at the Royal Medical College.

“Yes, I understand.”

*Whoosh.*

As he reached the doorway, Miguel whirled around and glared at her.

“Just finish eating your pie!”

He marched down the hallway, looking even more incensed than before. Only then did Irene realize her oversight, a flicker of embarrassment crossing her face.

“Perhaps I should have offered Physician Flich a muffin.”

She felt a pang of dejection, realizing she still had a long way to go to become a “normal” person. Yet, her eyes soon brightened.

There were still two sweet potato muffins left. That meant she could visit heaven two more times. Just as she reached for one, she heard the sound of hurried footsteps.

Mia poked her head into the office abruptly.

“Physician Rios!”

Irene found Mia fascinating. Not for a single moment did a neutral expression ever settle on her face; she was always laughing, looking shocked, or on the verge of tears.

Mia possessed a vibrancy that Irene lacked or had long since lost. When they stood together, they formed a stark contrast, like a painting of opposites.

“Physician Rios!”

Unable to wait the few seconds it took to cross the room, Mia called her name again, panting for breath.

Irene mused that she should change her nickname. Carrots didn’t move from their spot once the seeds were sown, making the name entirely inappropriate for the ceaselessly scurrying Mia.

A sudden glimmer of insight flashed in Irene’s deep eyes.

*A Goldfish would be good.*

Her orange hair matched a goldfish perfectly. Moreover, goldfish were gentle and social creatures. The way they constantly fluttered their fins while swimming suited Mia’s kinetic energy.

Mia would probably be delighted if she knew her nickname was a goldfish. At the very least, it was better than an Ocean Sunfish.

“Master Uno is here!”

If it was Uno, wasn’t he a military surgeon? As she wondered why he had come, Mia added, sounding frustrated.

“The military surgeon, I mean. You met him at the medical barracks a few days ago.”

So, she did know who he was. After all, the goldfish was Mia, not Irene. No, she really had to correct the common misconception that a goldfish’s memory span was only three seconds.

“Physician Rios!”

Irene, having drifted into deep thought, snapped back to reality. Mia stood before her, hands on her hips, wearing a stern expression.

“Master Uno is here, I said.”

“Why?”

The question hovering in her mind finally escaped her lips. As if she had been waiting for that exact trigger, Mia immediately replied.

“He brought the soldiers. The ones where you stitched the flesh as if you were mending fabric… ugh.”

As she spoke, perhaps recalling the gruesome sight, Mia covered her mouth with both hands and let out a low groan. Catching Irene’s steady gaze, she straightened her posture with an “Oops,” while rubbing her stomach.

“You said you’d remove the stitches in seven to ten days, right? Today is the tenth. Since you were the one who stitched them, he said you should be the one to remove them, so he brought the soldiers along.”

“Ah.”

Only then did Irene remember. Since returning from the border, she had been so distracted—largely by the way Diego had been occupying her thoughts—that it had slipped her mind.

Even after returning to the castle, Diego would occasionally have her touch his bare skin, claiming it was for “practice.” Even if it was just the back of his hand, it was still skin-to-skin contact.

And Irene still hadn’t made any progress. At the slightest touch, she would be startled as if burned and immediately try to flee.

“Physician Rios!”

Irene, who had drifted off again, quickly refocused. Mia let out a long sigh, as if she had expected this.

Irene asked with a nonchalant expression, as if nothing had happened.

“Where are they?”

“In the parlor. What should I do?”

“I’ll go there.”

Irene stood up, casting a look of regret at the two sweet potato muffins.

But it was fine. Aunt Juana’s cooking was the best; even cold muffins were delicious enough.

“This way, Physician.”

Mia took the lead. Irene frowned faintly.

On her first day, she had gotten lost on the way to the Main Building, and afterward, she couldn’t find her own barracks. Since then, it seemed to be a settled fact in Mia’s mind that Irene was terrible with directions.

Irene, who was about to protest that she wouldn’t get lost inside the same building, kept her mouth shut.

Perhaps she was the one who was mistaken. Maybe Mia was simply walking fast because of her energetic personality.

Irene had no confidence in what was considered “normal,” so she had no choice but to be sparing with her words. Besides, since Mia spoke more than enough for both of them, they were balanced well enough.

Mia opened the door to the parlor and stepped back, letting Irene enter first. Irene stepped into the room.

“Physician Rios.”

Uno stood up. He still looked more like a mountain bandit than a military surgeon, but there was a surprising touch of politeness in his demeanor toward her.

Irene gave a slight nod before turning her gaze to the two soldiers standing beside him. They were looking at her with eyes so passionate they were stifling.

*Flinch.*

Irene stepped back instinctively. Uno turned toward them and shouted in a booming voice.

“Eyes down, you rascals. Don’t you see the Physician is startled? If you look at her with faces like mountain bandits, even I’d be startled.”

*Hmm.*

Irene contemplated this seriously. If she had to choose the person who looked most like a mountain bandit in this room, it was undoubtedly Uno.

Struggling with whether or not to voice that observation, she eventually shook her head. She knew she had a talent for freezing the atmosphere, so it was better to remain silent.

“But the person who looks most like a mountain bandit here is you, Master Uno, isn’t it?”

*Hmm?*

Irene looked around with panicked eyes, wondering if her inner thoughts had slipped out. However, the three men were not looking at Irene, but over her shoulder.

Mia looked at Uno with a confident expression, as if asking if she had said something wrong. The two soldiers burst into laughter.

It seemed that remark hadn’t frozen the room after all. For some reason, feeling as if she had grown a step, Irene felt her chest swell with pride.

“*Ahem.*”

Uno cleared his throat, shot a glare at Mia, and changed the subject.

“The sutured skin seems to have healed, so I brought them. Just as you said, Physician, after a few days, the site sank down a bit. The lesion, which was bulging at first, has now turned flat.”

Irene nodded and walked toward the soldier.

Just then, the parlor door opened again. Everyone turned to look.

“Hm?”

Diego, entering the room, arched an eyebrow as he felt the gazes pouring onto him. A relaxed smile formed on his lips.

“A passionate welcome.”

“I greet His Highness the Grand Duke.”

Uno and the soldiers jumped to their feet. Diego waved one hand and walked further inside.

“I heard my attending physician had visitors, so I stopped by for a moment.”

Irene missed her chance to greet him, too busy thinking that Diego was still quite idle.

Diego smiled at her, looking as if her silence didn’t matter at all.

“Don’t mind me. Carry on with your work.”

As Irene nodded, a massive shadow flickered behind Diego. It wasn’t Javier; he was standing right next to the Duke.

“Hmph. I came to see the skill of a Royal Medical College graduate. I wanted to see with my own eyes if she were truly someone the Grand Duke would personally endorse.”

It was Miguel Flich, who had just left the office. He waddled over, his belly shaking. The expressions of Uno and the soldiers crumpled like paper.

However, Irene didn’t care. She walked toward the soldier with an indifferent face.

*First, clean water and…*

Before her thoughts could finish, Mia ran out of the room, calling back, “I’ll go prepare clean water and cloths!”

Irene watched Mia’s back with a blank stare. Sometimes, Mia read her innermost thoughts as if she had stepped inside her head and right back out again.

It was fascinating. Mia, pausing at the door, turned around and called, “Physician Rios!” as if she had noticed Irene had drifted off again.

Irene snapped back to reality and focused on the soldier. It was the man who had suffered long lacerations on his cheek and neck.

Irene clasped her hands together instinctively. Since she had stitched them, she had to be the one to remove them.

But unlike the last time, the soldier in front of her was fully conscious. He wasn’t dying; he was living fiercely. He was staring at her intently, exhaling hot, steady breaths, his body temperature radiating warmth.

*Can I do it?*

No, she had to. There were many eyes watching. She didn’t want them to see her looking frightened. Fortunately, no one seemed to notice her inner panic.

Except for one person.

“…….”

Diego’s eyes moved slowly. He didn’t miss the subtle trembling of her tightly clenched fists.

It wasn’t a new discovery. Diego even knew why she was trembling. To perform the procedure, she would have to remove her gloves and touch another person’s skin with her bare hands.

For someone who feared contact with others, it was inevitable that she would shake like an aspen leaf. The problem was the “why.”

Suddenly, he became intensely curious about the source of that terror.

*Why.*