Doctor Resignation - Chapter 37

“No. You can’t.”

My vision was blurred. I could hear a firm and determined voice that I think I’ve heard a lot from somewhere.

“There is no way I would compromise, Your Grace.”

Upon looking around, I noticed that it was the first time I saw the setting of this dream. Although the scale was smaller than Duke’s Castle, the atmosphere gives off a pretty, glamorous, and antique feeling.

“Lise, don’t you know that the Duke has a bad personality?”

What was clear was that I was in a very difficult situation.

“I’d rather give you some medicine if you’re just acting straight-up crazy, but there’s no medicine for someone who’s inwardly crazy!”

And unbelievably, words voluntarily came out of my lips.

“Dad, but we…”

“We!?”

My ‘Dad’ banged the table and the tea in the cup shook.

“You finally got seduced by that smoldering look and devilish whispers! It’s all because of that guy’s face! It’s that face’s fault!”

Eventually, the title ‘that guy’ my dad called the man beside me made me whimper and groan.

‘Dad’s’ face was blurry. The black-haired man sitting next to me seemed to say something, but I couldn’t hear him well.

The two men talked for some time, but the atmosphere showed no signs of improvement. In the end, ‘Dad’ jumped up.

“You’re all just dirt in my eyes! Whether it’s a Duke, a Crown Prince, a dragon, or a God! You’re all unacceptable in my eyes!”

He gritted his teeth and shouted.

“You! When you were a kid, I used up all my strength just to keep you alive. How dare you go after my daughter? If I had known this would happen…”

I shouted desperately because I thought the teacup would fly soon.

“Dad! No!”

That teacup is expensive!

The tea hasn’t even cooled down yet!

“Lise, Lise?”

“Oh, no… No… No…”

“Lise!”

I opened my eyes wide. Sunlight was pouring in at dawn.

“Did you have a nightmare?”

“Oh, my God. Madam!”

I was so surprised that I jumped up from the bed.

I thought that she would just put me to sleep and return to her room, but I didn’t know that she would sleep in an uncomfortable position right beside me.

“Did you sleep next to me?”

“I figured that you will be lonely, so I stayed with you last night.”

“S-still…”

I am the type of person who’s fairly confident in getting paid for every job that I’ve done. However, I felt so embarrassed that I didn’t know what to do with such emotional consideration.

Upon seeing me restless, the Duchess sighed and said, “You seem to be having nightmares.”

“What?”

“You were whimpering and murmuring a few times, saying no. Did you have a bad dream?”

“Oh…”

I was so surprised to see the Duchess that I couldn’t remember most of the dreams already.

“It wasn’t a particularly distressing dream, but… I was in a somehow difficult situation. I think I had a family in my dream.”

“Haa… This is what I’m worried about.”

The Duchess took my hand and comforted me.

“The bad guys hurt your heart, and it turned into a nightmare.”

“I see.” It made sense. I nodded slowly.

“Having a difficult situation with your family in your dream is just a defense mechanism. Lise, you can come back late today.”

The Duchess patted me on the head and grinned. “Have fun in the Free City. So that all these bad things will be forgotten.”

“Yes.”

I smiled and nodded fervently. Well, it was originally my plan to be busy in the Free City.

The maid that Diel got me literally decorated me with all her soul. Wearing a green dress and with prettily arranged hair, I looked like a rich aristocrat. The Duchess even lent me the Duke’s private carriage.

Diel was waiting for me with a lot of luggage that I had asked to carry in the carriage.

“Ah, Lise. You look powerful from head to toe,” he muttered, blinking his eyes.

“I’m glad it looks like it.”

In the Free City, anyone can hang out freely. Ordinary people and aristocrats could talk to each other first without any boundaries on their status. However, that does not mean that all the common people can associate themselves with the aristocracy in these cities of freedom.

They’re named “free,” but most stores do not let poor commoners in at all. Establishments in the free cities were also expensive that’s why ordinary people could not afford to buy anything in them.

‘I’ve never been to any free city in my last life.’

In the end, only rich merchants could really enjoy freedom in the free city. The nobles and the royal family knew that, so they hung out with the commoners in free cities. Many aristocrats openly raise their supporters and political funds in free cities.

Prince Jade probably visited a free city for the mercenaries from the common people who fought beside him for a long time. Since it was a visit for commoner mercenaries anyway, chances were high that he was only spending time in the most luxurious place.

I don’t know Prince Jade very well, but the nobles and the royal family don’t like to get involved with the common people as long as they can.

If so, I had to dress up carefully so that I wouldn’t get obstructed because of my outward appearance.

“So pretty.”

“I know. How much time and money do you think I spent on this.”

As I answered calmly, I looked out of the carriage and felt strange. A bunch of escorts from the Duchess followed close behind.

I indeed wanted to look like a noble Young Lady or a rich merchant’s daughter today, but I feel like I’ve become a full-fledged aristocrat…

Even after arriving in the free city, people’s attention was focused on the luxury wagon and escorts that followed. They didn’t ask openly, but they seemed to think I was one of them.

They would probably think that I either was a daughter of an aristocratic family that they do not know well or a daughter of a nouveau riche.

The Free City was crowded with sailors.

All kinds of shops were displaying a lot of things and inviting people. Almost all of them were high-end items with eye-popping prices, but all of the stores were booming.

It was also because the victorious sailors were buying gifts for their families in their hometowns with thick pockets. I also brought plenty of cash on purpose. There were all kinds of shops and enough supplies, so it would be perfect to buy Erhan’s return gift.

“Diel.”

“Yes. Please say it.”

He quickly replied, noticing that I wanted to make him do something just by calling his name.

“My clothes are uncomfortable now, and I have a lot of escorts, so it’s hard to move.”

“Yes.”

“So you’re the one who…”

I whispered in Diel’s ear so that no one could hear me.

“Is going to find Crown Prince Jade.”

Diel’s eyes turned big.

“Cr- Cr- Crown Prince Jade?”

“I’m not asking you to bring him here, so don’t be afraid.”

No matter how elite Viscount Perelman was, Diel was also a commoner.

“Just find out where he is. I’m the one going to him anyway. You should know me that much.”

He murmured anxiously when asked to visit the prince.

“Lise… What do you plan to do with one of the members of the Imperial Family?”

I also understood Diel’s hesitation because I was also just an assistant doctor to the Duke.

“One mistake and you’ll die.”

Of course. No one knew it as well as I did, because I’ve experienced being sentenced to death before.

“I can’t tell you the reason, ah… Of course, you’ll eventually find out later, but this is something you have  to be extremely careful about.”

Diel, who doesn’t usually talk back to me, said with a serious expression. He was all right, under normal circumstances, but the difference between commoners and the royals was remarkably enormous.

It was a plan I wouldn’t have taught off if I hadn’t been really angry.

“Diel.” I spoke calmly, “Go on. It might also take a while so you should hurry up. The Free City is big, and there are many sailors everywhere.”

“…yes.”

“I’ll do some shopping and I’ll be at that cafe over there, see you in an hour.”

As if he had given up, Diel sighed and replied.

“Okay.”

After sending him away, I started snooping around many stores to buy Erhan’s present.

Indeed, the Navy has crowded a lot of shops and the store owners did not let people in unless they looked plausible. It is a city where even ordinary people can travel freely, but in the end, discrimination was still something irrevocable.

“Stand in line.”

The store clerks lowered their eyes and raised their jaws if the person who wanted to come in was not from the Navy or looked a little broke.

“There’s a lot of people right now.”

Of course, there was not a store that rejected me, who was accompanied by a large number of escorts and worked hard to decorate myself. Thanks to this, I was able to enter the store to my heart’s content without waiting in line.

When people who were in line innocently protested why I just went inside directly, they’ll be told that I was a guest with a reservation.

I didn’t make a reservation for any place.

‘This is the reason why I didn’t come in my last life.’

I had enough budget. It was overflowing because I couldn’t spend my earnings, but there was nothing I liked. Even if I looked around, all the men’s perfumes, cravats, and handkerchiefs; my eyes just spin.

Even though I was decorated just like a young noble lady, I had no idea of what to buy. Different from other aristocrats and daughters of rich families, I knew little about fashion or culture.

‘I sent Diel to look for the prince, so I don’t have anyone to ask for advice…’

In the end, perhaps I should just give up on the usual gifts and settle on something expensive and rare. After making up my mind, I was about to leave the store when.

“This scammer!”

“Grandma, you can’t do this!”

“You want to be sued, huh? Do you know who we are?”

Something was going on in one corner. I tried to pass by indifferently, but when I saw someone in sight, I stopped.

Closet clothes, messy braids, wrinkled familiar faces.

It was the same gypsy grandmother who made me go back five years ago.