Chapter 17
Chapter 17: A Variable is Needed (2)
“What did you say?”
Belinda wore an expression of disbelief.
Even while they talked, the red spots that covered the girl’s body bloomed like petals, then slowly faded away, repeating this cycle.
Some spots swelled completely, seeping pus, while others simply flickered in and out of existence.
Belinda watched Ghislaine’s daughter for a moment before speaking.
“This illness is definitely ‘Eternal Punishment.'”
Ghislaine nodded.
‘Eternal Punishment’ is a terrible disease that cannot be cured even by Divine Power.
Thus, the priests claimed that this illness was a punishment for people who had committed great sins in their past lives.
As this thought crossed her mind, Ghislaine clicked her tongue absentmindedly.
“Anyway, I really dislike that. The Saint has been nagging me every day… No, it’s nothing. Just reminded me of old times.”
When the others tilted their heads in confusion, Ghislaine quickly changed the subject.
“Regardless, this is just a simple disease. It’s not a punishment from God, nor is it a chain bound from birth. It’s a disease that can be treated.”
With her confident demeanor, Belinda could only frown.
“How does the young master plan to cure something that no one else can? This illness isn’t affected by Divine Power.”
With Divine Power, most diseases can be cured, but this one is an exception.
Using Divine Power might seem to improve the condition temporarily, but it soon relapses, causing the person to collapse.
“Divine Power only suppresses the illness for a short time. And there’s a limit to that. Besides, ordinary people find it hard to keep receiving Divine treatment.”
Divine Power was seldom granted except during major humanitarian missions at the temple.
For the nobility or wealthy people, it was easily obtainable, but for the poor, it was nothing more than a fairy tale.
“I guess you’ve already spent your entire fortune.”
Ghislaine nodded weakly.
He had earned quite a bit of money in the past, but he spent all his wealth on long-term care.
He spared no expense to treat his daughter, but it was like pouring water into a bottomless pit.
“Anyway, we need to leave now. The young master has no reason to stay here any longer.”
Belinda merely wished that Ghislaine would keep her distance from the girl.
Though the rumor of contagion was a lie, she felt a nagging unease.
She wasn’t alone in this. Others hurried to avoid anyone afflicted with the disease.
Getting that misfortune could lead to a life of suffering, so even if the rumors were unfounded, there was no reason to risk being close to a patient.
“No, I must treat her. It’s fortunate that it’s not too late.”
But Ghislaine shook her head resolutely.
She understood why Belinda was trying to stop her, but there was no way she would turn back after finding the girl.
Recalling a story she’d heard in a past life, she was glad she had come to find Ghislaine. The timing was incredibly close.
Ghislaine’s daughter would die soon. Grieving for his daughter, Ghislaine would give up everything and take her own life.
If that were to happen, Ghislaine would never meet her again.
“Are you going to treat her yourself?”
“I’m the only one who knows the treatment method for this illness. Of course, I must do it!”
At those words, Belinda raised her hands and gave up on trying to dissuade her.
Ghislaine had always been this stubborn since she was young. Once she set her mind on something, even Belinda couldn’t stop her.
Seeing Ghislaine’s self-assured attitude, Ghislaine could only remain silent.
If a cure could be found for an incurable disease, it would be a long-awaited miracle, but could it truly be possible?
Yet Ghislaine had neither the strength to follow that notion nor the confidence to dismiss it.
At that moment, Ghislaine’s daughter began to tremble violently, suffering in agony.
“Ah, ugh…….”
“Rachel!”
Ghislaine urgently called her daughter’s name and rushed over.
‘Eternal Punishment’ randomly brings about intense fevers and unimaginable pain at any time.
“AAAAAH!”
Struggling to endure the painful screams, Belinda and the knight attending them turned away with troubled expressions.
Regardless of their wishes to avoid an association with Ghislaine, it was hard to witness someone suffering so much.
Gripping the bed linens in pain, her nails were already torn and tattered, oozing pus and blood.
The blackened, dried blood stains on the bedding vividly displayed the kind of torment Rachel was experiencing.
As blood began to seep from her mouth, Ghislaine quickly propped Rachel up to let the blood drain out. If she continued to vomit blood while lying down, she could suffocate.
“Uugh, aaaah!”
“Rachel, Rachel… It’s alright, it’s okay….”
Rachel, frothing at the mouth in agony, and Ghislaine, equally distraught.
Watching her father’s shaking form as he cradled his daughter, Belinda gritted her teeth.
‘It won’t be long now.’
‘Eternal Punishment’ doesn’t show such severe symptoms like Rachel’s from the get-go.
Typically, it starts with one or two red spots appearing on the body and a light fever.
As time passes, the situation worsens, ultimately rendering Divine Power useless, leaving only excruciating pain.
Looking at Rachel’s condition, it seemed they had already reached that fatal endpoint.
“Ugh, ah, a, dad… I’m so, so in pain… Aaaaah…. I want to die… Dad, please…!”
“Rachel, Rachel…”
Holding his thrashing daughter tightly to prevent her from moving, Ghislaine eventually shed tears.
His eyes were filled with a desperate desire to end this hellish pain.
‘It’s painful.’
‘I can no longer endure this.’
‘Let’s die together.’
‘I’m sorry, Rachel.’
A thought that had always remained just an imagination now felt imminent.
But as Ghislaine sensed the end approaching, his eyes dimmed, reminiscent of the final gaze of someone who has given up on life.
Belinda and the knights turned away completely, unable to bear the sight any longer.
Only Ghislaine observed the unfolding tragedy with a serious expression.
As Rachel’s convulsions gradually subsided, Ghislaine spoke.
“Belinda.”
“Y-Yes?”
Sniffling, Belinda quickly looked up and approached Ghislaine as he gestured her closer.
“When the convulsions stop, we need to start treatment immediately. I’ll write down the necessary ingredients; make sure to bring them all back.”
Ghislaine paused for a moment to recall and quickly took out paper and a pen from her pocket, jotting down notes rapidly.
Belinda received the paper and was taken aback.
“You want me to buy Fairy Blessing?”
“Yes.”
Fairy Blessing is several times more expensive than gold of the same weight.
It was an item so rare that only those with immense wealth could even think to purchase it, let alone see it.
“Wait, young master. Why something so expensive…?”
“Because that’s the most crucial ingredient. There’s no time. We don’t know when the next convulsion will strike, so it’s best to prepare the medicine as quickly as possible.”
With no other choice, Belinda went outside to purchase the ingredients. The knights also began preparing the tools necessary for making the medicine, following Ghislaine’s orders.
Having finally quelled his convulsing daughter, Ghislaine stared blankly at the scene.
He was already too worn out, both physically and mentally, to stop Ghislaine from doing anything.
When Belinda returned after buying the herbs, Ghislaine immediately began the process of preparing the medicine.
‘It’s an incurable disease now, but a treatment method will be discovered in the future.’
Given its notoriety, Ghislaine remembered the treatment method quite well.
The main issue was that the ingredients were extraordinarily expensive, but the mixing ratios didn’t need to be precise, and the preparation method itself wasn’t difficult.
Thanks to that, even someone like Ghislaine, who hadn’t learned pharmacology, could clumsily imitate a pharmacist.
Ghislaine began making the medicine with care according to the recipe she recalled.
The others watched curiously, wondering if he could really create the medicine.
Honestly, they couldn’t believe it, but seeing Rachel in agony made them hope that even a little effect would be achieved.
Ghislaine looked at Ghislaine, who was seriously making the medicine, and asked weakly,
“I just met you today. Why are you going this far?”
He couldn’t understand why Ghislaine was suddenly rushing to treat his daughter’s illness, buying expensive ingredients and making the medicine herself.
But Ghislaine didn’t even look at Ghislaine, concentrating solely on making the medicine.
“I said I’m going to cure her, didn’t I? Do you need some grand reason to help the sick?”
“……”
That sounded like something a fraud would say.
But at this point, he couldn’t care less if Ghislaine was a fraud. A father wants to cling to even the smallest hope.
As if mocking the resignation he had accumulated over many years, hope once again sprouted in his heart.
However, he knew too well that if that hope shattered, the ensuing despair would be just as great.
Ghislaine couldn’t squash the hope, nor could he nurture it, and he could only watch Ghislaine with trembling eyes.
“It’s done.”
In a small flask, the violet liquid looked as if it had melted amethyst.
Ghislaine held the vial of medicine and approached Rachel.
He carefully supported Rachel’s neck, who had lost consciousness and gently poured the medicine into her mouth.
The onlookers exchanged disappointed glances as they saw no visible change.
“Don’t worry about me; don’t make that face until we wait a bit longer. This isn’t magic; she won’t recover the moment she swallows it.”
Ghislaine brought a chair next to Rachel’s bed and crossed his arms.
The others had no choice but to wait listlessly beside him.
“Gah!”
A few hours later, Belinda, who had been dozing off beside Ghislaine, was startled awake by someone’s shout.
“What! Is it an enemy?”
The knights looked on in shock, staring at something.
“Is that… real?”
Ghislaine was the same.
“What is this… the medicine… it’s really….”
Ghislaine smiled in satisfaction.
“It works. Honestly, I was a bit worried.”
Belinda widened her eyes in surprise. The spots on Rachel’s face and body were slowly disappearing.
When Divine Power was used, the spots’ color would fade, but they never truly vanished like this.
However, now only dried blood clotted on Rachel, and the spots that had been scattered around were definitely gone.
Belinda moved closer to Ghislaine, her voice trembling as she asked,
“Is it really cured? Are you sure?”
Ghislaine, also breathless with anticipation, waited for Ghislaine’s response.
The noticeable effectiveness took his breath away, making his heart race with excitement.
“It won’t be cured in one go, but she’s improved a lot. Still, we need to check, right? Give me the money and summon a priest.”
One of the knights quickly received the money from Ghislaine and dashed out. He, too, wanted to find out if Rachel had truly been healed.
A short while later, a stout priest sauntered in with an air of arrogance.
As soon as he entered the house, he pinched his nose, frowning.
“Oh, dear, the goddess loves cleanliness… this is the filthiest dump I’ve ever seen. This is modern hell! Are you demons living in this hell?”
Everyone ignored the priest’s words. Ghislaine chuckled, waving him over.
‘What brazen little brat is being rude by just pointing and waving.’
The priest harbored discontent, but he couldn’t voice it when offered a fat payment.
“Ahem, I’m here to see the sick. Who is it? I came because you made a decent display of sincerity, but I can’t stay long due to my busy public duties.”
In response, Ghislaine nodded and pointed to Rachel.
“This rude girl… is she the one?”
The priest immediately recognized Rachel. He had treated her a few times at the temple.
“Ah, this illness cannot be cured with Divine Power. I’ve told you several times that it just suppresses the symptoms… Wait a minute. What have you done?”
