Chapter 5
Leaving Ailey in the annex, the Duke and I sat down in the garden house.
I immediately began explaining.
“William has cirrhosis of the liver. To put it simply, his liver has hardened and can no longer function properly. Because of that, fluid that should be processed through the liver is leaking into his abdomen, causing ascites.”
“Then why does Teacher say you can’t treat him when you understand his condition so well?”
“Because I understand it too well.”
Even in twenty-first-century South Korea, liver cirrhosis was a disease with a high mortality rate.
And here, in a place that was practically a wasteland when it came to medicine?
I wasn’t even a specialist surgeon.
What in the world was I supposed to do to save him?
“You haven’t forgotten your promise to give me your life if you fail to treat him, have you?”
“Of course not. But please give me just a few days. If you give me that time, I’ll help William die.”
This time, the Duke’s eyes widened slightly.
I continued explaining.
“Death comes for everyone eventually. So in the end, dying well is just as important as living well. I want to help William pass away as comfortably as possible. And…”
“And?”
“We need to give Ailey time to prepare herself to say goodbye to her father.”
Of course, if the Duke drew his sword right now and told me to stop spouting nonsense, there would be nothing I could do except die.
But somehow…
I had a feeling this death-crazed bastard wasn’t going to kill me right now.
Blacion, who had been silent, finally spoke.
“Only until William dies.”
“Yes!! That’s more than enough!”
The thought that William could fall into a coma from hepatic encephalopathy at any moment made me anxious.
I immediately rose from my seat.
“I’ll start preparing the treatment today.”
Thanks to the wealth and influence of the ducal family, all the necessary supplies were gathered quickly.
After placing everything she needed on a trolley, Lionel called Ailey over.
Ailey came toward them together with Blacion, still looking bright and innocent.
“Ailey. From now on, Teacher is going to perform a procedure that will make your father a little more comfortable. But before that, there’s something I need to tell you.”
Sensing that something was wrong, Ailey stared nervously at Lionel.
“Your father is going to pass away soon.”
Lionel delivered the news calmly, but with a clear and unwavering voice.
In an instant, tears welled up in Ailey’s large eyes.
“Is my dad really going to die? When?”
“I don’t know that either. It might be today, or it might be tomorrow. But… it’ll be soon.”
Lionel gently wiped the child’s face with her sleeve.
Then she spoke in the gentlest voice she could manage.
“Ailey. Everyone dies someday. And when we die, we can’t take anything with us. But there is one thing we can take.”
“…What is it?”
“The memories we made with the people we loved.”
Lionel stroked Ailey’s red hair.
The Duke watched them with his arms folded.
When Lionel held a scalpel, her hands moved like an unstoppable runaway train.
Yet right now, those same hands were endlessly gentle.
“Teacher will do everything I can to make your father as comfortable as possible. So, Ailey…”
Lionel stopped breathing for a moment.
Then, with a faint smile, she confessed,
“…Don’t end up regretting things like Teacher did. Spend as much good time with your father as you can, right until the end. Can you help Teacher from now on?”
“…Yes.”
“Good. Thank you. Let’s go in together.”
Ailey wiped away her tears and runny nose before entering the annex with Lionel.
Standing in front of William, Lionel announced the beginning of the procedure.
“Then, I’ll begin the paracentesis procedure to drain the fluid from your abdomen.”
Over the next three hours, enough ascitic fluid came out of William’s abdomen to fill four one-liter bottles.
Ailey diligently replaced each bottle as it filled.
With his swollen abdomen slightly reduced, William looked much better.
He got into a wheelchair and went out into the garden with Ailey.
Excited, Ailey chattered nonstop.
“Dad, what kind of flower is this?”
“That’s a crocus. And the yellow flowers blooming beside it are daffodils.”
“Dad, you really know everything! You’re super smart!”
The quiet conversation between father and daughter felt warm and peaceful.
Watching them from a short distance away, a small smile appeared on Lionel’s lips.
Blacion, who had also been watching them, suddenly asked,
“What did Teacher regret?”
“…Huh?”
“You told Ailey that you regretted something.”
“Ah… that.”
Lionel hesitated.
“I had a sickly mother too. Before I went to live with the Frencia Baron family, we lived together.”
Lionel thought of her mother, who had been her only family.
Across both this life and her previous one, she had been the only person Lionel had truly considered family.
The mother who had showered her with love.
It wasn’t exactly a pleasant story, so Lionel wanted to bring the subject to an end quickly.
“She became sick at some point and was always lying in bed. Then one day, I really wanted pancakes, so I kept begging her to make them for me. I begged so much that she eventually did… but she passed away not long afterward. So I kind of… regret it. That’s all.”
“You think making those pancakes put too much strain on her?”
“Yes.”
