chapter 12
12 – Treating the Noble Lady
Honestly, I wasn’t overly worried.
With so many healers gathered in the west, there must be at least one competent person among them.
Ziiing!!
The healers rushed towards Irene, spreading their divine power.
The common treatment method of this era is to spread divine power!
Since divine power has detoxifying effects, wouldn’t Irene get better?
But Irene’s complexion didn’t change.
Divine power wasn’t effective!
“Divine power has detoxifying effects, right? What illness is Miss Irene suffering from?”
Around this point, I started to feel uneasy.
If handled incorrectly, the patient could be in big trouble.
Squeezing into the crowded healers, I caught a faint scent of wine mixed with the smell of lead!
A smell emanating from Irene.
Irene is suffering from lead poisoning!
“Lead poisoning…! I see, no matter how detoxifying divine power is, it can’t change the lead content.”
So, even if divine power is spread, it’s ineffective.
Moreover, Irene inhaled lead!
Faint traces of cosmetic powder could be seen in Irene’s mouth.
It seems she accidentally ingested lead cosmetics while eating.
If not treated properly, it could lead to permanent brain damage!
“Open the balcony door!! We need to move Miss Irene!”
“Ugh…?”
Despite my words, the healers hesitated to move Irene.
Seemingly not understanding my words.
After exchanging glances, a priest-like figure shouted at me.
“The balcony is outside! Isn’t it cold outside? Why move the patient to a cold place!”
“Miss Irene is in this condition because she ingested lead cosmetics! Can’t you see she’s having trouble breathing? It’s because of lead! Therefore, we need to take her to a well-ventilated area to blow away the lead powder and make it easier for her to breathe!”
“Is this because you ate lead cosmetics?”
“Yes! There’s no time!!”
Lead poisoning should be distanced from symptoms like contact dermatitis.
In other words, removing the lead should solve the issue!
I need to move Miss Irene to a balcony with good air circulation.
However, the therapists couldn’t understand me and hesitated.
“Oh no, if my method doesn’t work, I’ll be held responsible, so move Miss Irene immediately!!”
Even during this time, the patient’s condition was deteriorating rapidly!
As I spoke up, worriedly observing the situation, Duke Jackson noticed me.
“Are you… from Viscount Roland’s?”
“I am Kim Cheolsu, Your Grace! I’m in a hurry!”
“Hmm…! Can you save Irene?”
“I’ll try my best!”
“Understood! Therapists, move Irene to the balcony!”
Seemingly convinced by my confident words, the Duke ordered the therapists to move Miss Irene to the balcony.
“Bring drinking water! Makeup removal water! A cloth for wiping, and an empty bucket!”
First, I need to remove Miss Irene’s face makeup.
Because Miss Irene’s face makeup contains lead!
With the help of the Pride Viscount’s attendants, we removed all of Irene’s makeup, and slowly, her consciousness began to return.
“Ugh… where is this?”
“This is the balcony of the banquet hall, Miss! I am therapist Kim Cheolsu. Miss, do you feel any symptoms that are particularly severe right now?”
The treatment method will vary depending on Miss Irene’s symptoms.
I hope we won’t need to use any medication.
As Miss Irene slowly became aware of the situation, she suddenly grabbed her stomach and shivered.
“My stomach… it hurts so much.”
“Oh no.”
Abdominal pain, one of the symptoms of lead poisoning.
As long as lead remains in the body, the symptoms will persist.
I must extract the lead powder from Miss Irene’s stomach.
I asked the attendants of the Viscount for gastric lavage preparation and convinced Miss Irene.
“Miss, I will induce vomiting now to expel the cosmetic powder you inhaled.”
“Cosmetic… powder?”
“Yes, that’s the cause of your stomach pain.”
“Will I get better if I vomit?”
“You will feel much better than now.”
Miss Irene weakly nodded.
“Then… please proceed.”
“Alright, follow my instructions. First, kneel down and bend your waist, Miss.”
I will give her plenty of water and induce vomiting in Miss Irene.
That is gastric lavage.
Humans are designed to vomit when they drink excessive amounts of water without resting.
Afraid that she might choke on the water, I gestured to the servants after checking Irene’s condition.
The servants slowly poured water into Irene’s mouth.
To medieval people, this treatment might have seemed somewhat peculiar, and many looked at me with skeptical faces.
But there is no better treatment than this at the moment.
“Gulp, gulp!”
Soon, Irene reached her limit and vomited.
I stood in front of her with a bucket and patted her back.
“Irene, bow your head! Try to vomit everything into the bucket!”
“Gag! Bleh!!”
Irene expelled what was in her stomach!
The onlookers covered their noses and moved away, but I felt relieved.
Bleh! Irene vomited for a while.
After she finished vomiting, Irene took a deep breath, and her complexion improved.
“Irene, how is your stomach pain now!?”
“Haah… haah… I don’t know. I don’t feel like it hurts…”
Irene touched her stomach as if it was fascinating.
Most of the lead in Irene’s body had been removed!
It was a success.
* * * *
After finishing vomiting.
Irene felt her body becoming free as she was being carried.
Her heavy body became lighter.
The pain that had been tormenting her head and stomach disappeared.
‘…All because of cosmetics.’
Irene discovered the true nature of her illness.
It was the man with yellowish skin who introduced himself as Kim Cheol-Soo who had taught her.
‘…I never thought about it.’
Cosmetics were everyday items to be applied in the church.
Who would think that cosmetics could be the cause?
Most of the young women attending the church used lead cosmetics.
If Irene, who liked the church, hadn’t known this, she would have continued to use lead cosmetics in the future.
Irene’s liver felt cool, and on the other hand, Kim Cheol-Soo was amazing.
This amazing man identified the cause of the disease that no other therapist could find and treated Irene.
When Irene lost consciousness and collapsed, he rushed over and moved her to the balcony, making her vomit while she was suffering from stomach pain.
To treat Irene.
Honestly, Irene felt a sense of shame.
She vomited in front of everyone’s eyes.
Her face turned red for no reason.
…The joy of her illness improving was even greater.
Anyway, Irene was led by the hands of the maids after vomiting and went to bed after taking a bath.
The bed, which always felt boring, felt cozy at this moment.
“It’s the first time.”
Feeling this cozy emotion.
Although she had no strength in her body due to vomiting, her body didn’t feel as heavy as before.
She felt like she could move if she slept well and woke up.
The man who bestowed this blessing upon Irene stayed with her until she entered the bedroom completely.
“Miss, do you have a headache or stomachache?”
“It doesn’t hurt anymore.”
“If you feel any pain, please let me know. And from now on, never use lead cosmetics! Lead poisoning is a disease that improves without using lead!”
“…Yes.”
The man seemed so desperate that even a casual glance conveyed passionate kindness.
“Phew! I’m glad you’re getting better. Now we can take a closer look at the details!”
Kim Cheol-su, a man who was dedicated to the treatment.
Irene looked at him discreetly, but somehow found it difficult to meet his eyes, so she avoided his gaze.
* * * *
The situation was settled for now.
Except for a few noble families, most of them returned to their territories.
I was staying at Pride Manor for a few days.
I had no intention of leaving until I confirmed that Irene’s condition had improved.
“It’s not right for a nurse to abandon an emergency patient!”
The burning heart of a passionate medical professional within me wishes for the patient’s health!
Cure Irene and leave!
Of course, reality may not allow it, but thanks to Lord Roland’s help, I was able to stay at Pride Manor for a few days.
“Kim Cheol-su! Jackson, the Duke, has given his permission. You can stay until Irene’s treatment is complete!”
“Oh.. Thank you, Lord.”
“It’s nothing. It’s just a matter of saving lives, haha.”
Thanks to Lord Roland’s kind words, the staff at Pride Manor cooperated well with the treatment.
“Dispose of all the lead cosmetics in the manor! Irene’s condition is lead poisoning! Avoiding lead is the treatment!”
“Yes!”
The butlers and maids of the manor got rid of all the lead cosmetics in a frenzy.
“Pride Manor’s chef, right? For lead poisoning, Irene needs meat, fish, eggs, beans, milk, yogurt, and cheese. Please make a well-balanced diet for her.”
“Yes, I understand, therapist.”
The chef prepared foods that were good for preventing lead poisoning.
And as a result,
Irene’s condition improved to the point where she could touch the wall and walk alone!
“Take it slow, don’t rush. Hiyah~ I can’t believe Irene couldn’t walk alone until now.”
“It’s all thanks to you, Kim Cheol-su.”
“Oh, please feel comfortable talking to me. I’m just a therapist.”
“No…”
Irene gently shook her head and smiled.
I feel so happy seeing Irene, who usually has a calm demeanor, smiling like that!
I heard that she didn’t used to smile much before.
The Irene I’ve known since her treatment seems to smile often and is dedicated to her rehabilitation exercises.
“Now I can go back.”
As I observed Irene during this time, her lead poisoning symptoms have greatly improved.
She hardly experiences headaches anymore.
Her appetite has returned.
And she no longer vomits.
As a medical professional, there is nothing more rewarding than seeing a patient’s improvement!
Feeling a sense of accomplishment, I nodded repeatedly.
“I can walk well now… Did I do well?”
“Of course, Miss!”
“Hehe…”
…By the way, Catherine was narrowing her eyes and staring at me from the corner. It was a very scary and cold gaze, but since the priority was the patient’s treatment, I tried to ignore it.
* * * *
The day of departure finally arrived.
Catherine, Lord Roland, and Lady Helen, along with me, received heartfelt farewells from the Pride Duke’s household. From the servants and butlers to Duke Jackson and his family.
Especially when Duke Jackson bowed to me, I almost felt overwhelmed.
It felt like a conglomerate chairman greeting me!
“To Kim Chul-soo, who healed my youngest daughter, and to Lord Roland, who cooperated, I am grateful. I owe you a debt that I can never fully repay.”
“Oh no, Your Grace! I just did my duty as a medical professional.”
“…You are truly humble and excellent as a healer.”
Duke Jackson held both of my hands and stared at me with intense eyes!
Duke Jackson seemed to have noticed that I was the Kim Chul-soo he had heard about.
How did he know!?
Indeed, being a duke is not just a position obtained by playing poker!
My brain stopped for a moment.
“Your reaction confirms it. I had a suspicion because our names are strangely similar, haha!”
…Well, it was actually strange that he didn’t notice because our names are so similar.
“Don’t worry, I don’t plan to spread any rumors since it seems like you’re hiding something.”
“…No, that’s not it.”
The fact that Duke Jackson noticed means that others might have noticed too.
“It’s already too late.”
Damn it!
I realized that I couldn’t hide my fame anymore.