Chapter 64

Time passed, and the most severe season, known as the Great Heat, finally came to an end in the Kingdom of Carpa.

The harem of the Kingdom of Carpa was enveloped in an unprecedented tension.

"......"

"......"

Queen Aura, who had extended her morning schedule to stay in this place, and Zenjiro, who had canceled all his plans for the day and resolved not to move from here, both held their breath, waiting for that moment.

Around them, the harem maids, who had become close over the past year, stood stiffly by the wall, unable to even casually speak to their mistress or serve tea, which was part of their duty.

The silence, as sharp as a needle, continued until the door was knocked on.

"!"

"Come in!"

In response to Aura's abrupt and tense voice, the person entered the living room where the queen and her consort were waiting.

"Excuse me."

Answering with a calm and composed voice, the person who entered was an elderly man with a white beard and long hair streaked with white, wearing a white robe.

He was Dr. Michel, the royal physician.

Dr. Michel, who entered the spacious living room, closed the door behind him but stood there, as if leaning against the closed door, without approaching the sofa where the queen and her consort were sitting.

It seemed this was a prearranged stance, as neither Aura nor Zenjiro reprimanded Dr. Michel for his attitude.

Dr. Michel, looking evenly at the queen and her consort, who were staring at him intently, said,

"To cut to the chase, Prince Carlos is suffering from 'Scarlet Fever.'"

He delivered this harsh reality without mercy.

The first to notice the change in Prince Carlos, the first prince of the Kingdom of Carpa, was naturally his nurse, Cassandra.

It was common for the infant Prince Carlos to cry in the early morning, but this morning's crying was different.

Cassandra, a model nurse who could distinguish from Carlos's cries whether he needed milk, a diaper change, or was just fussy, immediately woke up the maid who was taking a nap and sent her to fetch Queen Aura and Dr. Michel one by one.

'Scarlet Fever.' Zenjiro, who could not understand the disease, asked Dr. Michel with a tense expression.

"Dr. Michel, what is 'Scarlet Fever'?"

"Yes. As the name suggests, it is a fever that causes red spots on the face and body. The red spots do not cause pain or itching, but the high fever persists, and the throat swells.

The fever lasts for about three days. Generally, healthy adults are unlikely to die if they rest and take proper nutrition, but for infants and the elderly, it is not uncommon for this disease to be fatal."

Understanding Dr. Michel's words, Zenjiro rubbed his cold fingers on the sofa.

"So, in Carlos's case, it could be life-threatening?"

"Fortunately, Prince Carlos has been in good nutritional condition and has grown steadily. He is a robust infant, so there is no need to be overly pessimistic.

I would say there is a 90% chance he will be fine."

Hearing the 90% chance, Zenjiro let out a sigh of relief, but Queen Aura, sitting next to him, maintained her stern expression and warned him.

"Zenjiro, Dr. Michel's words mean exactly what they say. In other words, if there were ten patients in Carlos's condition, one of them would die."

"Ah..."

Struck by his wife's words, Zenjiro was speechless.

A 90% survival rate. In reverse, a 10% mortality rate. One in ten would die. When put this way, it was clear that there was no room for optimism.

Few parents could remain calm with their child in such a state.

Naturally, Zenjiro, who was not one of those few, racked his brain to find a way to break the current situation.

"Ah, then, we can use the 'Healing Secret Stone'!"

A magical artifact that could instantly heal any injury or illness. Zenjiro, recalling its existence, said this with enthusiasm, but the queen's reaction was not favorable.

Queen Aura, biting her lip with a stern expression, said,

"That's difficult. We currently have three 'Healing Orbs.' We don't know when we can obtain a fourth.

Using the precious 'Healing Secret Stone' for an infant with a 90% chance of survival would cause too much backlash from the nobles."

Hearing his wife's harsh words, Zenjiro, who rarely lost his temper, became extremely agitated.

"But! Carlos is the first prince of this country! The only legitimate heir! Are you saying the 'Healing Secret Stone' is more important than his life!?"

For the first time since they met, Queen Aura, who was bitten by her husband, showed a pained expression for a moment but quickly regained her composure and said in a consoling tone,

"Indeed, Carlos is the most important person in our country. However, his absence would not immediately affect the government."

"..."

Hearing the cold words of his wife, Zenjiro was speechless. Before he could say anything, Dr. Michel interjected in a calm voice.

"Lord Zenjiro, to be blunt, in this country, even nobles and royalty typically suffer from such illnesses four to five times before the age of ten."

"Four to five times..."

The clear and harsh numbers were enough to cool Zenjiro's boiling head.

The Kingdom of Carpa currently had three 'Healing Secret Stones.' On the other hand, Prince Carlos was expected to suffer from similar illnesses four to five times in the future.

The numbers simply did not add up.

Moreover, Zenjiro and Aura planned to have more children. Using the trump card for such a minor illness would not be enough, and this harsh reality gradually sank into Zenjiro's mind.

"Sorry... I got carried away."

Bowing his head on the sofa, Zenjiro received a simple "It's fine" from Aura.

In fact, if Zenjiro did not exist, Aura might have used the 'Healing Secret Stone' on Carlos in this situation.

Aura, who had the strongest Carpa royal blood, was a woman. The number of children a woman could bear in her lifetime was limited.

Moreover, in a world where safety during childbirth was not guaranteed, there was a possibility that she might become unable to bear children after her first pregnancy.

However, with Zenjiro, a man with strong royal blood, added to the mix, the rarity of their child decreased significantly.

Furthermore, Zenjiro had already proven his ability to father a child with Carlos.

From the perspective of the general nobility, who had no particular attachment to Prince Carlos, even if the prince were to die, they might think, "What a pity. Please try to have another child, Lord Zenjiro."

Conversely, if Zenjiro himself were to suffer from a similar illness, the nobility would likely insist on using the 'Healing Secret Stone.' It was a known fact that even if one survived a long-term high fever, they could lose their reproductive ability.

Harsh as it was, considering the national interests of the Kingdom of Carpa, at this point, Prince Carlos's life was considered less important than Zenjiro's testicles.

Unable to convey such a fact to Zenjiro, Aura remained silent.

On the other hand, Zenjiro's head had cooled down a bit, but he could not come up with a good solution.

"Then, how about inviting a healer from the Gilbert Papal Family?"

"At this point, the only one who can use 'Instant Teleportation' is me. In that case, I would need to go to the Dual Kingdom alone using magic."

"Is there no specialist in 'Scarlet Fever'?"

"That would be disrespectful to Dr. Michel. Dr. Michel is the highest-ranking physician in this country. It is rare to find a physician better than him in any field."

"Of course, is there no special medicine for this disease?"

"If there were, we would have used it already."

"Right..."

"......"

All the naive ideas Zenjiro could think of were immediately dismissed by Aura.

The room fell into a dark and heavy silence.

There was no solution. Or rather, if there were no solution, it would be easier to give up, but the harsh reality was that they had the 'Healing Secret Stone' as an absolute trump card, but their political position did not allow them to use it.

This was what it meant to be royalty. Zenjiro finally realized the weight of his position.

If he insisted, he could use the Healing Secret Stone here, but it would cause significant backlash from the nobles and disdain from foreign royalty.

If Zenjiro were the only one to be disdained, he might have welcomed it, but in this case, it was likely that the backlash would also affect Aura, who, as a queen, could not stop him.

However, the guilt of considering political standing when his child's life was at stake was hard to shake off.

"At least, if he had already received the 'Blessing of the Forest,' we could be more at ease. Your Majesty, do you have anyone in mind who has received the 'Blessing of the Forest'?"

To divert attention from the unchangeable situation, Dr. Michel suggested a slightly off-topic topic, and Aura followed suit.

"No, there is no one suitable for the harem who has received the 'Blessing of the Forest.'"

The 'Blessing of the Forest' was a local disease that Zenjiro had also suffered from before.

The name 'Blessing of the Forest' was not just a nickname; it was a disease that one could only contract once in a lifetime, was rarely fatal, and left antibodies in the body that were effective against various diseases, making it a true 'universal preventive medicine.'

Of course, in the case of weak infants, there were instances where they died from the 'Blessing of the Forest,' but considering the rest of their lives, it was statistically better to contract it early.

Therefore, if Aura knew of a trustworthy noble child who had suffered from the 'Blessing of the Forest,' she planned to invite them to the harem to pass it on to Carlos, but unfortunately, Carlos had contracted 'Scarlet Fever' before such an opportunity arose.

"......"

"......"

Once again, a heavy silence dominated the room.

There was nothing more they could do for their child. As long as they had the duty of a king, they were not allowed to visit someone with a contagious disease.

Understanding this, Aura took a deep breath, stood up from the sofa, and said,

"Alright, Dr. Michel. I will leave Carlos to you and Cassandra. I am late for the palace council meeting.

I trust your skills. Do your best."

"Yes, I will do my utmost."

Dr. Michel, who maintained his calm demeanor throughout, bowed, and Aura's gaze shifted to her husband, who was still sitting on the sofa.

"Zenjiro, what will you do?"

Asked, Zenjiro, who was slumped on the sofa, thought for a moment and said,

"...No, I can't do it today. I know I can't do anything here, but I'm not in the right state of mind to work at the palace. I might make a serious mistake."

"I see. Indeed, you don't have to push yourself. However, you must not visit Carlos directly."

"Right, I understand."

Zenjiro nodded in response to Aura's warning.

As a healthy adult who had received the 'Blessing of the Forest,' Zenjiro would not be in danger even if he contracted 'Scarlet Fever.' However, he would likely be bedridden for two to three days, and most importantly, he shared a bed with Aura.

If 'Scarlet Fever' were to spread from Carlos to Zenjiro and then to Aura, it would be a serious problem.

Even a short illness of the king would paralyze the palace. The king had the duty to keep himself away from disease.

"Try not to worry too much, even if I say it might be useless."

Leaving these words, Aura, as if to show how not to worry, briskly left the harem, switching her focus.

◇◆◇◆◇◆◇◆

"Ugh... grrr...!"

Left alone in the harem's living room, Zenjiro threw himself into magic practice, venting his frustration at his own helplessness.

Recently, he had been gradually improving in 'Magic Power Output Control,' an essential skill for mastering various spells.

If he could use the 'Instant Teleportation' spell, he might have been able to go to the Dual Kingdom to call a healer.

This thought compelled Zenjiro to practice magic.

However, even if Zenjiro could use 'Instant Teleportation,' there was a good chance that the expensive healer's summoning would not be approved to heal a disease with a 90% survival rate.

"Huff... huff..."

'Magic Power Output Control' did not require physical strength, so it was not supposed to be tiring, but for Zenjiro, who had not yet mastered the technique, it was exhausting.

Sweat seeped through his body.

Moreover, he could not help but imagine his beloved son suffering from the disease, causing his concentration to waver, and he made no progress at all.

"Ah, damn it!"

Zenjiro, who rarely used such foul language, shook his head to clear his thoughts, stood up from the sofa, and walked to the refrigerator by the wall.

"Huff... Maybe it's just a waste of time today."

Pouring cold water from a silver pitcher into a glass and drinking it in one gulp, Zenjiro let out a weak sigh.

Indeed, magic training required a lot of concentration, and in his current state of mind, it was meaningless to practice.

"Aura said not to worry, but if it were that easy, it wouldn't be a problem..."

He deeply respected his wife, who, despite being as worried as he was, could switch her focus and focus on her work.

"Maybe if I had gotten married and had children in Japan, it would have been the same?"

Back on the sofa, Zenjiro muttered to himself.

If that were the case, he would have had a significant weakness as a salaryman.

Of course, in modern Japan, the trust in medical institutions was much higher, so he could have left everything to the doctors.

"Ah, no good. Maybe I'll play a game."

No matter what, his thoughts always led back to his son's well-being. To distract himself, Zenjiro took out a console from the TV stand and connected the wires.

"Excuse me, Lord Zenjiro."

Suddenly, the door was knocked on, and a familiar maid's voice echoed.

"Yes, come in."

While reflexively giving permission to enter, Zenjiro was puzzled.

What could it be? It was too early for lunch. The harem maids, who knew Zenjiro's preference for solitude, would not approach him unless there was a clear reason.

(What if there's a change in Zenji's condition?)

It was natural to imagine the worst in this situation.

The one who entered was the middle-aged head maid, Amanda, perfectly dressed in a maroon maid's uniform.

Zenjiro's tension increased. If the head maid came directly, it was not a trivial matter.

Ignoring or unaware of her master's tension, the middle-aged head maid performed a perfectly formal bow and began to speak in a matter-of-fact tone.

"Lord Zenjiro, a messenger from the palace has just arrived from Lord Fabio.

It seems that Prince Francesco of the Dual Kingdom has offered to visit Prince Carlos."

"...What?"

Caught off guard by the unexpected turn of events, Zenjiro let out a bewildered sound.

After a moment, understanding the words, Zenjiro waved his hands in front of his face, as if to say it was out of the question.

"No way, no way. No matter what, it's not a good idea to let a sick Zenji meet a foreign noble. Even if it were Princess Bonna, I could understand, but Prince Francesco can't enter here because of the 'No Men Allowed' rule.

Is he suggesting to take the sick Zenji out of the harem?"

Realizing that Secretary Fabio would not pass on such an unreasonable request, Zenjiro stopped his rant.

Sure enough, Head Maid Amanda, ignoring Zenjiro's previous words, continued with the message.

"Prince Francesco claims that he brought many 'Healing Secret Stones' from the Gilbert Papal Family as a precaution when he came here. If he is allowed to visit, he is willing to use one of them for Prince Carlos."

"!!"

Zenjiro's reaction was dramatic.

"I'll meet him immediately! I'm going to the palace, so prepare my clothes!"

"Yes, please go to the next room. Everything is prepared there."

To the loud voice of her master, the head maid responded with her usual calm voice.