I Became a Plague Doctor in a Romance Fantasy Novel

Dispatch Duty of the Plague Doctor (5)

Dispatch Duty of the Plague Doctor (5)

Creak.

When I opened the door to my lab in the morning, Princess Mint was sitting at the desk waiting. I closed the door for now.

What is this, am I seeing things?

Even when I opened the door again, she was still there. For some reason, Princess Mint was still sitting and waiting. Moreover, she had a somewhat displeased expression.

I should think carefully about what to say.

Princess Mint has many titles. The Doll of the Social World, the Moon of the Royal Family, the Empire’s Finest Daughter. And today, a girl who is being annoying for no particular reason.

“I came to see you because I missed you, but you weren’t here. You haven’t been around for a few days. Where have you been?”

Contrary to his appearance, his tone wasn’t particularly endearing. Perhaps it was to be expected.

“What do you mean…?”

“I asked where you’ve been.”

I went on an urgent business trip.

“Are you feeling unwell?”

“No.”

Then why should Mint care? It doesn’t matter where I go. After a brief hesitation, I answered the princess.

“Oh. It’s nothing significant. There was an outbreak of plague in the Lapis territory, so I was urgently called as a quarantine advisor and stayed there for a few days.”

“To say that a plague is not a big deal, you must be quite an unusual person.”

“The plague is a big deal. I just meant that my going there wasn’t a significant event. Your Highness, may I sit down?”

Mint shook her head.

I sat down at the desk. Since Mint was sitting in my usual seat, I had no choice but to sit across from her in the guest seat.

This is the perspective of Estina.

“From now on, report and move accordingly.”

“Are you joking, or are you serious?”

Mint ignored my question.

“You went to stop the plague. How was it?”

Her tone was indifferent, but her expression was one of interest. I considered what to tell her.

“The scene was horrific. The dead were so numerous that there was no space to bury the bodies, so they dug a large pit and threw them in. On the other hand, the solution was simple. The plague was contained, and I returned.”

“What was the solution?”

“I poured distilled liquor into the well.”

Mint looked down at me.

This time, the expression was one of disbelief.

“You poured liquor into the well?”

“Yes.”

“Every time I talk to you, I feel like I can’t understand a word you’re saying. What does that have to do with the plague?”

“Well, dysentery is caused by bacteria living in the water. Most bacteria are destroyed when they come into contact with alcohol, so pouring alcohol into the well can mostly solve the problem of dysentery.”

“Is that all?”

“Yes.”

“Unbelievable. There must be hundreds of cities and towns devastated by dysentery, and that was really the solution?”

I nodded.

“Yes. The related research will be published soon.”

“Horrible. To think of all the people who died because they didn’t know that.”

Mint stared into the air.

“Lapis. Is that where the young regent lord is? Baron Lapis, Laplania?”

Not young. In fact, he’s a bit older than Mint, isn’t he?

“Ah, I think so. I met him.”

“How was it?”

Princess Mint’s reaction was a bit strange. She didn’t seem to like Baron Lapis very much, did she?

“Well, I’m not sure about other things, but he cooperated well with us. Thanks to that, we were able to change the situation in two days.”

“You must have been grinning from ear to ear, having smoothly overcome such a crisis during the regency period.”

Mint shook her head.

“Wouldn’t the plague be unsettling?”

“No. The plague is an unavoidable disaster, but solving it is the leader’s ability. From that perspective, it’s a good thing.”

If you think about it, it’s not wrong. Is that what the high nobles think? I thought it was a somewhat inhuman reaction.

“Ah.”

“Lapis must be feeling triumphant.”

“Probably so.”

It’s none of my business.

“Do you dislike Mr. Laplania?”

“Not to the point of dislike. It’s just that I know him. We’ve met before.”

They must meet often in the imperial social circles. After all, the Lapis barony isn’t far from the capital or the academy.

“He said he took over the regency because his father is unwell.”

“What, that old lord of Lapis? He’s not unwell. He’s just old.”

I’ve never seen him myself. The princess seems to have met him in places like the imperial social gatherings.

“I received something like a recommendation letter. He asked if I had any thoughts about working in his territory.”

“Oh. Did he? What did you say?”

A hint of displeasure crossed the princess’s face. I didn’t know what point had upset her, so I reconsidered my next words.

“Of course, I refused. I came to be a professor at the academy, I can’t just go off to such a place. I have research to do.”

“Is that so? That’s a relief.”

Mint nodded.

“Now, please move away from my desk, Princess.”

“No.”

“Then stay there.”

Not a child. Or is she?

Do as you wish.

If the princess insists on sitting at my desk, there’s nothing I can do. What am I supposed to do, grab her by the collar and drag her away?

That doesn’t mean I can stop working.

I had no choice but to sit and shuffle through papers. What do I need to do, there are hardly any patients in the ward, I should work on my research or writing.

Although I handed it over to Istina, I still need to proceed with the cholera-related research. If I’m lucky, I might be able to stain and observe the cholera bacteria itself.

On a more fundamental level.

Denying the spontaneous generation of bacteria, proving that bacteria are transmitted through specific contaminants, whether by contact, air, or water, and that hygiene is necessary in daily life and clinical settings, must be established for modern medicine to begin.

The schedule has changed a bit.

First, I will present Snow’s map to the academic community, then Pasteur’s experiment denying spontaneous generation, and finally, Lister’s paper.

“Don’t you have any classes today, Princess?”

“Not today.”

She won’t stay here all day, will she?

“What did you have for lunch?”

“Why are you curious about that?”

“It’s just a polite conversation.”

Mint looked at me with suspicious eyes. If you don’t want to sit in someone else’s lab, why act like a madman and then treat me like one?

“That’s right, Your Highness. Please get me a graduate student. The work is too slow with just one person.”

“Come back to the palace. Then you’ll have about ten royal healers at your disposal.”

Who, the royal healers?

Aren’t they all gamblers, alcoholics, and heavy smokers? Besides, there are no patients, and there’s no access to advanced research or facilities…

I didn’t run away from there for no reason.

“I should be careful with my words in front of Your Highness.”

“Normal people are always careful with their words in front of the princess. You’re just the one without any sense.”

“Are the classes bearable?”

“You’re blatantly changing the subject.”

Mint pondered for a moment.

“They’re bearable. Nothing too difficult. But it seems true that the academy doesn’t give special treatment to high-ranking nobles.”

“The right to rule is something to be earned. Still, I’m glad you find it manageable. It makes my efforts to heal you worthwhile.”

“You’re really good at getting on people’s nerves.”

I didn’t even say much.

I started to feel like it was time to leave. If they want to kill me, let them. I pinched Mint’s cheek and pushed her out of the seat.

“Let’s go now.”

“Ugh, how insolent. Don’t push me.”

“Good grief.”

The princess dawdled for about 30 minutes before leaving the lab. Sometimes she can be quite a nuisance. At times like this, she seems like a complete child.

“Finally, she’s gone.”

Mint left, and Istina came in.

“Why didn’t the princess leave?”

“I’m curious too. Go ask her.”

“I was going to come in when the princess left. I waited for a long time, but she didn’t leave. I was reading a book on the floor in front of the door.”

I nodded.

“You must have waited a long time.”

“The princess looked at me as she left. With a look that said, ‘Who are you, sitting on the floor reading a book?’…”

Oh dear.

The thought made me chuckle a bit.

Istina, unable to wait any longer, squatting on the floor reading a book. Mint, the princess, looking down at her curiously, wondering why someone was on the floor, and then passing by without a word.

“Anyway, how’s the writing going?”

“That’s actually why I came.”

“Hmm, I see.”

“The fecal-oral route of infection, it’s because of contaminated drinking water with human waste that epidemic dysentery spreads, right?”

It’s a logical conclusion.

Once you know that cholera is spread through tiny particles, thinking about what symptoms it causes, that’s the only conclusion.

“When you get cholera, you have diarrhea. That has to be the cause of the infection for it to spread. I keep telling you, bacteria are living organisms too.”

“Aha.”

Structure and function are closely related. The nature of a disease cannot be separated from its pathological mechanism. This is the same for cholera.

“If it’s a disease that causes sneezing, it will spread through phlegm or saliva droplets. Dysentery causes diarrhea, so it spreads through feces. Do you understand what I’m saying?”

“It’s a rather unpleasant reality.”

“Right.”

Istina took notes on what I just said.

“Professor, please recruit more graduate students.”

“I’d like to. It would be great to have about ten of them. Managing research, ward management, and preparing for classes without a hitch.”

The more slaves, I mean disciples, the better.

“Why don’t you recruit more?”

“No one wants to come. In fact, there are more professors than graduate students entering the program. It seems it’s not easy to bring in even two.”

Istina sighed.

“I suppose that’s true.”

The original plan was to use Princess Mint’s name to attract graduate students. I hinted at this plan to Mint, but all I got was a response asking what I was talking about.

Well, it’s a relief if she doesn’t interfere.