chapter 22
22 – I Need to Leave the Hospital
Hero Daisy tightly held the letter sent to her.
The letter from the Urkyo Main Sect was a kind of urging letter that said, “Why are you idling? Go to the battlefield quickly!”
“To Hero Daisy.
I haven’t heard any news about Daisy in the battlefield lately..
You must be helping the people in an unknown place, right? Well… But it is the duty of a hero to defeat the Demon King.
Of course, heroes are also human, so taking a break for a while is fine..
(omitted)
I’m sorry for the long letter, but what I want to say is that you need to catch the Demon King.
No, if it’s too difficult, you can take a break for a while.
The confused Gyowang.”
“What does this mean?”
Is it telling me to take a break, or to go catch the Demon King?
Every time Daisy received a letter from Gyowang, she was confused.
“…In the end, it’s telling me to catch the Demon King.”
Although Gyowang’s letters were confusing, the will of Urkyo was clear.
Daisy let out a small sigh.
Her time as a patient is coming to an end.
Daisy quite liked her life as a patient.
Resting, eating, sleeping, and occasionally doing rehabilitation exercises.
Staying in bed was unfamiliar to Daisy, but she knew that Kim Cheolsu would come if she stayed in bed.
9 a.m., 4 p.m.
Kim Cheolsu came for a check-up at the designated time.
“Lulu~ Hello, Miss Daisy. I’m here to measure your pulse and body temperature~”
Kim Cheolsu, wearing a white gown, had a bright appearance.
Daisy liked Kim Cheolsu’s visits.
Kim Cheolsu measured Daisy’s pulse, body temperature, and checked her leg condition every day.
He was simply taking care of a patient, but to Daisy, he provided emotional stability.
To Daisy, who was always chased by the pressure of having to catch the Demon King.
The time with Kim Cheol-su was comforting, like a moment of peace.
There was something warm swelling in her heart.
“Now it really looks clean. I’ve removed the scab on your skin. You can start thinking about going home, right?”
“Cough, my leg still hurts.”
“Is that so? Is the nerve still not fully healed…”
Daisy lied to Kim Cheol-su.
Daisy’s leg was already completely healed.
The hero’s exceptional regenerative power had restored her leg to its original state just one day after the surgery. In fact, Daisy could have been discharged the day after the surgery.
Daisy was aware of this fact.
But Daisy kept her recovery a secret.
Because she knew that revealing her recovery would shatter this routine.
She would no longer receive Kim Cheol-su’s care.
“Okay, morning check-up is done. Keep moving around, Daisy. If you stay still, your body will stiffen. I’ll come back in the afternoon~”
“Yes, please check on me.”
Daisy awkwardly hid the fact of her recovery and saw Kim Cheol-su off.
Now she would have to wait for Kim Cheol-su until 4 o’clock in the afternoon.
Daisy, with the hero’s outstanding sense, attentively sensed Kim Cheol-su moving away.
More thoughtful and diligent than anyone else.
Daisy pressed her body against the only window.
She could see Kim Cheol-su heading towards “Kim Cheol-su Free Clinic.”
Daisy kept her body against the window until Kim Cheol-su completely disappeared from view.
“Ah…”
As Kim Cheol-su finally disappeared from view, Daisy seemed to lose her strength.
Must she continue this boring wait?
Daisy wondered if Kim Cheol-su would come back to see her, or if he would turn around for a moment.
She glanced briefly, but Kim Cheol-su did not look back.
Daisy let out a sigh.
Her heart was pounding, thinking of Kim Cheol-su made it hard for Daisy to control her emotions.
Creak.
Daisy was startled by the sound of the door opening.
Tension ran down her spine like a girl caught in love, and her body shrank.
“Daisy?”
The visitor was her colleague and barbarian warrior, Numidia.
Numidia, with a muscular body not typical of a woman and long, mane-like hair, stood there.
Did this Numidia, with her animal-like instincts, perhaps sense something in Daisy’s heart?
Daisy feigned composure, sweating coldly.
“Numidia, do you need something from me?”
“I don’t need to say it, Daisy. You already know.”
Numidia, with an indifferent expression, held the door handle and spoke.
Daisy’s heart sank.
She didn’t know what Numidia was trying to say.
“What are you going to keep playing around for?” That was the gist of it.
Every member of the Hero Party had their own reason for going to defeat the Demon Lord.
Numidia’s reason was to avenge her tribe, who had all been slaughtered by the Demon Lord, hence her case.
Revenge, a recurring theme in demon lord hero stories!
Daisy must have been holding Numidia back.
“…I’ll go.”
Feeling a chill, Daisy gave Numidia the answer she wanted.
“After the evening treatment.”
One must complete what they’ve started, right?
A vein popped on Numidia’s forehead! She was annoyed.
“If you’re not going, I’ll go alone.”
To defeat the Demon Lord.
Numidia slammed the door shut and left in a huff.
Daisy felt deep concern but didn’t stop Numidia.
How could she leave when she didn’t want to?
She wanted to feel Mr. Kim’s warmth a little longer.
***
When a patient is discharged, nurses provide discharge education.
Now, patient? Next time, just visit the hospital at this time.
Next time, you can come for treatment as an outpatient without being admitted.
Just take your medicine and so on.
I sense that my companions in the Hero Party are starting to want to discharge Daisy little by little.
That’s probably because Matteo has already packed his luggage in the carriage.
The martial artist Carrot is grumbling, “Ah~ I think we can go now~”
“If Daisy and I agree, we can discharge her.”
Daisy seems completely recovered.
She could be discharged right now.
The only thing holding her back… Is it Daisy’s pain?
Daisy stays still and complains of pain every time I mention discharge.
“Could it be that she’s faking it to avoid discharge?”
Surely not?
She’s a hero by name.
I buried my head in the back of the medical chair and pondered.
I apologize to Daisy.
Let’s think more productively.
“Or was there a mistake in the surgery?”
I meticulously checked the surgery on Daisy’s day and the day after.
If I missed something, I might have to reopen and operate on Daisy’s skin.
“If the surgery went wrong and it hurts… leaving Miss Daisy like this is a big problem!
It’s been a month since the surgery!
Feeling a chill in my heart, I quickly gathered Margaret’s equipment and rushed to the operating room.
***
The room where Daisy is staying is the first hospital room of Kim Cheol-soo, labeled ‘Room 1♡’ with a heart attached.
Although this heart was a piece of repentance carved by Kim Cheol-soo’s wish for the patients’ peace.
Unfortunately, the resident of Room 1, Daisy, was not feeling very comfortable.
Because her colleagues who wished for Daisy’s discharge were all giving her looks!
Among them, Numidia couldn’t bear it and was about to leave, but the priest Lara brought her back.
The swordsman Carrot scolded Daisy.
“You’re better now, Daisy! I know you’re getting better.”
Carrot shouted, bristling all over.
It had already been delayed for a long time.
The hero party’s tribes couldn’t bear the rest period of over a month.
Daisy was leaning on the windowsill, silently looking outside.
She knew she had to be discharged.
But once she’s discharged and goes to the battlefield, when will she return as Count Roland?
She might never see Kim Cheol-soo again.
These thoughts paralyzed Daisy like a stone.
“Hey, Carrot. You’re being too loud. Tone it down, Daisy might not be fully recovered yet.”
“What are you saying, Lara! I’m a swordsman. Can’t you trust my sensitive senses?”
“Carrot, unlike your simple mind, the human body is intricate. It’s better to observe the situation until Kim Cheol-soo declares discharge.”
“Ugh, unfortunate Matteo…!”
Carrot received a concentrated glare.
Lara covered Daisy, seeing her pitiful state.
Matteo approached cautiously.
Honestly, even Lara and Matteo wondered if Daisy should be discharged soon.
They surrounded Daisy to prevent internal conflicts within the hero party.
In the end, it’s up to Daisy, the party leader, to decide.
Daisy had a hunch.
If she doesn’t make a decision as the party leader, it might cause discord in the party.
‘Can’t delay it any longer…’
Is it time for a decision?
For some reason, Daisy thought of Kim Cheol-soo’s face.
If this is the last time, she wants to receive Kim Cheol-soo’s care.
…She wants to remember his warmth once again.
But the face of Kim Cheol-soo that Daisy remembered was not a figment of her imagination.
“Daisy!”
Just Daisy’s exceptional visual acuity caught Kim Chul-soo’s attention.
Kim Chul-soo, panting heavily, burst into the icy room number one and shouted to Daisy to perform surgery again.
“Daisy, you’ve been saying you’re still in pain, right? No matter how much I think about it, I’m worried. Let’s open up the surgical site! We might need to do a second surgery!”
“Mr. Kim Chul-soo…? A second surgery?”
“Yes! Because there’s pain!”
“No… I mean.”
Daisy was perplexed.
Pain? What pain?
Daisy lied to Kim Chul-soo about having pain.
She just didn’t want to be discharged.
Since the day after the surgery, Daisy had never felt any pain.
But was Kim Chul-soo suggesting a second surgery because of pain?
Daisy quickly refused.
“I, I’m fine now. Mr. Kim Chul-soo.”
“Pain can come and go, Daisy! We need to make sure of the surgical site to be at ease!”
“Ah…”
No, really, I’m fine!
Feeling dizzy, Daisy glanced at her colleagues.
For some reason, all her colleagues had faces mixed with guilt.
It was as if they were saying, “Daisy is still in pain but feeling guilty for pressuring her to leave the hospital.”
“Could it be that they still think I’m in pain?”
Seeing Kim Chul-soo’s reaction, Daisy’s colleagues thought she was in pain.
In reality, Daisy was perfectly fine.
Daisy felt like she had been struck by lightning.
This might be an opportunity!
Daisy spoke up.
“Ah… It does seem like there’s some pain, Mr. Kim Chul-soo.”
“As I thought, right? Let’s do the second surgery!”
“Yes, please.”
In the end, Daisy underwent a second surgery.
Kim Chul-soo opened and examined Daisy’s surgical site skin, but there was nothing unusual at all.
No matter how carefully he looked.
With a wry smile, Kim Chul-soo sutured Daisy’s skin again.
Having performed suturing surgery on Daisy before, skin suturing was now easy for Kim Chul-soo.
Of course, Daisy was perfectly fine.
Still, since the skin had been cut with a scalpel, there was a bloody appearance left on Daisy’s surgical site.
This gave the impression of pain, and the idea of discharge resonated with her colleagues.
If surgery was done, one should stay in the hospital!
Daisy’s hospital stay was extended.
“I… have overcome the crisis.”
Daisy smiled quietly, unnoticed by anyone.