<strong><em>Chapter 34</em></strong>


    While contemting the dilemma before me, I grabbed the hem of my dress as if it were a dry mop.


    “Well, it must be a difficult request?” Walter said, whispering with a serious expression on his face.


    “Yes, it’s difficult, but…”


    I, too, murmured with a heavy sigh.


    Walter’s expression became heavier. I couldn’t decipher what he was thinking, so I felt nervous for a moment.


    “Why… What are you thinking?”


    “Hm… You look fine on the surface, but maybe it’s that…?”


    “That…?”


    “It’s the sickness that makes<i>that part</i>where you sit on terribly ufortable.”


    “The part… where you<i>sit</i>on..?”


    I couldn’t understand what he was saying, but I suddenly shouted.


    “…What?!”


    “It’s all right, you won’t even need this much medicine for it. Ah, but don’t be stingy with the application, just put on a lot. Though if it’s gotten serious already, then you should see a doctor, even if you’re embarrassed. Any illness is nothing to be ashamed of…”


    “I-It’s not like that at all!”


    “…It isn’t?”


    Walter, who had excitedly taken out a new kind of medicine from his medicine cab, put back down the bottle in his hand, sullen.


    “I’ve never guessed wrong…”


    “It’s for someone else, not me.”


    “Oh? It’s someone else’s sickness? Has it gotten out of hand? If so, then just medicine won’t suffice anymore.”


    “I told you, it’s not like that!”


    At my words, he stroked his beard and took a sip from the bottle that was next to him.


    “Before you lecture me—”


    He held up the bottle with clear amber liquid inside. “It’s a concoction of herbs.”


    Without anyone asking him directly, Walter answered me first, as though he sensed what I was about to say.


    “Your wife has seeded in making you give up drinking, I see.”


    “Of course. This is just herbal juice.”


    “…All right.”


    I nodded half-heartedly.


    “So, what’s wrong with that person?” Walter asked, returning back to the subject at hand.


    I finally made up my mind and brought up the issue.


    “Walter, please take a look at this medicine.”


    “Medicine? What medicine?”


    When he asked, I opened my pocket and handed over a bottle with round pills inside it.


    “This.”


    Walter adjusted his sses and inspected them closely. He opened his mouth again. “It’s a pill. Do you want me to find out what’s in them?”


    “Yes, I actually have the prescription,” I said, then gave that to him as well.


    “Oh…?”


    Walter’s eyes glistened as he gazed at the piece of paper.


    “You’re asking me to analyze the medicine even though you already have the prescription? How interesting. Really interesting.”


    “What?”


    Walter had an interested look on his face.


    “If you want me to analyze this even though you have the ingredients listed down, then that means you don’t trust the person who made it. Isn’t that the case?”


    I averted my gaze.


    “It’s not to that degree…”


    “But, you’re suspicious of the medicine. Am I right?”


    I couldn’t bring myself to be honest with him, even though he kept insisting. “I just want to make sure. To double-check.”


    “Yes, sure. If you say so.”


    Walter opened the bottle, sniffed, then ced a few on his palm. He smelled them a few times again, picked some out then popped them into his mouth.


    “Walter, wait—”


    To my surprise, I reached out to him, afraid that the effects might be different if someone other than Amoide took them.


    “Hmm… This…Yeah, it is…”


    With his eyes closed, Walter chewed on the pills for a long time.


    “….”


    Then, his eyes turned serious. “Selena. Who’s taking this medicine?”


    He hurriedly spat out the pill in his mouth.


    “….”


    I shut my mouth like a m again.


    “I don’t know who it is, though it seems like they’re important to you?”


    “…Yes.”


    “You want them to live?”


    “Of course.”


    I could feel Walter’s expression dimming.


    “W-what’s the matter…?”


    “No, no. Continue. What are that person’s symptoms?”


    “He suddenly copses without any reason, but sometimes it seems like he’s too healthy.”


    “He’s doing fine?”


    “Yes. He’s strong.”


    As I stared at the bandage on my hand, I also remembered him crushing the snake’s head.


    “What kind of strength?”


    “Just… normal strength.”


    The memory of Amoide lifting me in his arms made my face somewhat hot. I brushed a lock of hair behind my ear to forget how he looked without clothes on—and diligently came up with another memory.


    <i>[ Get lost. ]</i>


    “And, he’s got a terrible personality.”


    “Personality?”


    “Yes, he’s always in a sour mood. I think it’s been that way even before he got sick.”


    This was just a guess, though.


    “Well, it’s possible for a man to have extraordinary strength. Although I’m a pharmacist, not a doctor.”


    “People whoe here regrly don’t think that way.”


    Anywhere you went, the treatment from a formally trained doctor would be expensive. However, since Walter waspetent enough to concoct medicine that was as good as that kind of treatment and better yet with a rtively low cost, of course, people would flock to his pharmacy.


    “Anyway, he’s sick, but I’m just wondering if there’s another reason for it.”


    “Another reason?”


    “From this…”


    “You think there’s something in the medicine?”


    I nodded my head vigorously.


    “What if it’s poison and not medicine?”


    Hearing my im, Walter opened up the paper with the prescription on it and read it again.


    “I know that the prescription itself, it… looks normal enough,” I said.


    “The medicine and the prescription match perfectly, Selena.”


    “Then, that means…”


    “There’s no problem with the prescription. Neither with the medicine.”


    “Really?”


    “If there were traces of poison in this medicine, then wouldn’t the one taking it be dead already?”


    “But, that would be too obvious…”


    “It’s obvious if you die at once.”


    “Yes, still…other people’s stories aren’t always pleasant. There’s this sayingedy at a distance, but a tragedy from up close.”


    If it was someone else’s story, then I can just enjoy watching with my arms crossed. Unfortunately, this was my story, so I couldn’t just stand by and do nothing.


    In fact, it might be all too simple to approach the matter.


    ‘As long as I don’t kill my husband.’


    The reason Selena faced such a cruel demise was because she poisoned her husband. So, all I needed to do was<i>not</i>do that.


    Right now, I had no reason to poison him because I knew how the narrative went. It would be simple. If he’s happy, then I’m happy. Let’s all be happy. That way, we can all have a happy ending that way.


    Regardless,


    There’s no way everything would be that easy.


    “….”


    Amoide was already ill, and he’s set to die young.


    At that time, his wife, who would be next to him, might still be unfortunately involved and falsely used of murder. Or, there was still a possibility that someone would assassinate him under the guise of his illness, theny the me on me.


    Either way, it wouldn’t change. My death was inevitable at this point.


    So, at all costs, Amoide needed to live.


    “By the way, didn’t you say that the person taking this is precious to you?”


    “…An important person.”


    I barely remembered to correct him. There might not be much difference on the surface, but there was a subtle difference between the two words. No, they’re totally different.


    “Anyway, you want that person to live, don’t you?”


    “…He<i>must</i>live.”


    Because if he does, then I can continue living as well.


    “Then, it’s going to be difficult.”


    “What will be difficult?”


    “This medicine.”


    “You said it’s made exactly ording to the prescription?”


    “Yes. Painkillers aremonly prescribed for neuro stabilization and pain reduction.”


    “…Of course.”


    That meant this medicine wasn’t for essential treatment.


    “It’s a prescription drug for patients who suffer from extreme pain. It’s a very potent formtion.”


    “He does look especially in pain whenever he copses.”


    “Well… It’s a prescription for a person who has only a few days left to live. The purpose is to reduce their pain so they can pass on peacefully.”


    For a moment, the strength in my legs that kept me up wavered.


    “Are you all right?”


    “Yes…I’m fine.”


    I stumbled and grabbed the edge of a desk. I slowly opened my trembling mouth. “Then, is there no hope anymore since he’s taking this medicine?”


    “I don’t think so.”


    “Will there be any difference if I try to stop it?”


    “I’m not sure.”


    “I mean… He’s been very, very healthytely. I feel like he’s being more energetic, and he’s had a betterplexion nowadays. Is there still no hope?”


    I grabbed Walter’s arm tightly.


    “Selena… Well…”


    Walter seemed to be surprised by my sudden onught of questions.


    “Even I know…”


    …I knew that Walter wouldn’t have the answers I wanted. Nevertheless, I couldn’t stop clinging onto hope.


    “The doctor who takes care of the patient would know his constitution the best.”


    “…Yes.”


    There was nothing wrong with the medicine. That was clear.


    His body was in a really bad shape. He might be holding out this long only because he was already exceptionally strong before he fell ill.


    “I understand. Thank you.”


    I gently let go of Walter’s arm.


    Even though I had already confirmed what the ingredients of that medicine were, I felt even more frustrated.


    Trapped in aplex maze, I managed to find a single ray of light from a miniscule opening.


    However, it wasn’t an exit, so the despair that flooded my senses was far greater.