Crown Prince Sells Medicine

 I Next

…Twist.

What is this strange sensation? It feels as if her tail has been replaced with her little toe.

…Squirm!

Why does she feel like there’s a tail inside her sock?

“….”

Anise furrowed her brow as she lay down, perplexed.

It was an odd feeling.

It was bizarre.

Why did it suddenly seem like there was a tail attached to her foot? The reason for such a grotesque sensation was beyond her comprehension. This suspicion extended to the prince’s treatment process as well.

‘Did that man just stick a needle in the back of my head?’

It certainly seemed so.

Several needles in her back and waist, and finally, one in the back of her head. It felt like a large thorn had been inserted.

It was absurd.

‘I asked him to stop my tail, so why target the back of my head?’

Anise couldn’t fathom it. She wanted to get up and protest immediately. How dare he act so kindly only to subject her to this? There must be limits to teasing and toying with someone.

Regardless of her being a werewolf, or him being the prince, is it right to treat people as experimental subjects? Is it acceptable to take advantage of someone in a desperate situation? She wanted to seriously question him.

Then, at that moment…

“Phew. We’re almost done. You can relax now.”

The prince’s voice reached her ears, sounding somewhat smug as if he had accomplished something.

“Is it over?”

“The procedure. It was successful.”

“….”

Successful?

Already?

Anise hesitated for a moment. Was this success truly what it appeared to be? But she didn’t have much time to contemplate. The prince swiftly removed all the thorns.

“Now, slowly turn around and try to get up.”

“….”

As she turned over, Anise noticed that the prince had his back to her. With the assistance of the maids, she put on her outer garment and stood up.

However…

“Isn’t something strange about your tail?”

Only then, while the prince smiled and observed her, did Anise realize her condition.

“….Ah.”

She glanced back.

Her tail hung limply. It didn’t move at all. But why hadn’t she noticed it before?

“I paralyzed your tail and tricked the nerves in your body.”

“Huh?”

“Your left little toe. I rerouted the tail nerves there.”

“….”

What was he talking about?

Anise didn’t immediately understand. The prince’s smile took on a deeper meaning.

“Instead of your tail, your little toe will move. When you’re sad and your tail droops, it’ll be your little toe. And when you’re happy and your tail wags wildly, it’ll also be your little toe.”

“….”

Admitting that she understood everything would be a lie. Anise felt her tail tense with anxiety, but the tension actually resided in her little toe. The real tail hung limp without a flicker.

The prince spoke as if he knew everything.

“Just now, didn’t your little toe feel strange?”

“….”

“That’s why it’s a success. Now you can live without revealing your inner feelings or mood through your tail.”

“….”

“Of course, there might be some side effects. Your pinky toe might move on its own, replacing your tail. It will react according to your emotions. It may take a month or two to adapt due to the initial strange sensation.”

“……”

“But it won’t interfere with your ability to walk or run.”

“……”

“Oh, and trimming your toenails might be a bit inconvenient. Your toe will move freely according to your emotions.”

“……”

“Trim your nails when you’re as calm and still as possible. Practice some meditation before trimming. Otherwise, you might end up bleeding.”

“……”

“That covers the side effects of the procedure. So, what do you think?”

“……”

Anise remained silent. No, she couldn’t find words to respond. Instead, her body responded, or rather, her pinky toe, which now carried the sensations of her tail.

…Wriggle, wriggle!

Her pinky toe began to twist inside her shoe, wriggling with enthusiasm. It was an unbelievable outcome of the procedure. Anise had sensed the potential for a new life from the very beginning.

“Heh, heh heh?”

Anise chuckled, and her pinky toe wriggled even more vigorously in response. It was a strange and captivating sensation. The prince smirked and spoke.

“Oh, there’s one more thing to be cautious about. Wear thick socks or don’t remove your shoes during important meetings or in front of someone you want to conceal your emotions from. Well, that shouldn’t be too difficult.”

“……”

“And another thing. When you transform into a werewolf, your tail will regain its mobility. I couldn’t do anything about that. The flow of vital energy changes significantly during transformation, and I didn’t dare to interfere with it.”

“……”

“Well, considering you can’t speak due to the altered oral structure during transformation, having a moving tail might actually help with communication.”

“……”

“Anyway, the bottom line is, your tail has been replaced with your toe.”

“……”

“Tada?”

“……Ha. Ha ha.”

Anise still couldn’t respond. Instead, laughter bubbled up within her without her realizing it. Her gaze fixed on her wriggling toe. Her eyes had become moist.

It was an unexpected procedure she hadn’t held much hope for, yet its successful outcome was a surprising gift. It was at that moment she realized.

“Heh, sob…!”

Suddenly, tears burst forth.

All the accumulated sorrows from her childhood flooded in. The prejudice and disdain towards werewolves, the hardships her clan had endured—all came rushing to her mind.

From now on, she wouldn’t have to bear such sadness. The hope and joy for a new life turned into unstoppable sobs.

“Heh, sob! Sob!”

Tears continued to flow.

However, there was something she had overlooked. The prince standing before her wasn’t as kind-hearted as the rumors had portrayed, always serving others.

“Hey, I understand that you’re happy. But now that the procedure is complete, we should make a contract, shouldn’t we?”

“……Ah?”

Anise paused.

Through her tears and blurred vision, a white piece of paper was thrust in front of her. She hastily wiped her tears away. Upon closer inspection, it was an employment contract for a nurse at the Star Palace Clinic.

“Do you remember? You requested a special clause, didn’t you?”

“……”

“You said that if I could solve your tail problem, you would sign the contract and become a nurse.”

“……”

“Furthermore, as a bonus, you mentioned bringing your entire clan, right?”

“……”

“Let’s get the signature first.”

“……”

Anise realized that this had been the prince’s aim all along.

In that moment, she understood. She could see it. The Crown Prince standing before her wasn’t a simple man. He was far from being someone who selflessly served others.

‘It’s so different from what the rumors say.’

Free of charge? That was something she could never expect from this Crown Prince. Nevertheless, a contract was a contract.

“……I understand.”

In the end, Anise had to not only sign the employment contract but also affix her seal to it.

♣ ♣ ♣ ♣ ♣ ♣

“Hehe. Hehehe.”

“……”

“Huhuhu. Huhuhuhu.”

“……”

“Huhuhuhuhuhu.”

“……Is it really that amusing?”

“Absolutely.”

The employment contract, freshly signed and still with wet ink, was swiftly rolled up by Raciel, who wore a satisfied smile. There was no way he couldn’t be pleased.

‘Excellent. With this, one problem is definitely solved.’

He felt a sense of contentment.

The recently established Star Palace Oriental Medicine Clinic was thriving. The number of daily patients seeking treatment was noticeably increasing. However, there was a severe shortage of staff to handle the influx. The need for a professional nurse was particularly pressing.

“But now, with this, the problem is resolved in one fell swoop.”

Raciel smiled with satisfaction.

Anise stood before him, along with the promise of 50 werewolves she would bring. The thought of training and working with them as professional nurses made him feel prosperous. It was as if a farmer were gazing upon a golden field, or the anticipation one felt while unwrapping a freshly delivered package with the aroma of a roasted chicken.

“Anyway, you must call your tribe as promised, right?”

“Yes, that’s correct. Then…”

“Of course, once they arrive, we will proceed with the tail paralysis procedure.”

“Thank you.”

“For what? If you become a nurse and work diligently, it will benefit me. Now, how do you plan to summon your tribe? Should we wait until nightfall?”

“…What?”

“Because you’re a werewolf. Waiting until midnight, transforming when the moon reaches its zenith, raising your head toward the sky, and letting out a majestic howl… Isn’t that how you call them?”

“No, it’s not.”

“Then?”

“I will write a letter.”

“….”

“Why?”

“Never mind, I apologize…”

Raciel offered an awkward smile, while Anise, too, smiled and fiddled with her toes. That afternoon, the swiftest horse departed from the Star Palace, carrying a letter. And just five days later, the 50 werewolves who received Anise’s letter arrived at the Star Palace.

Upon their arrival, they underwent a test—a basic assessment of physical strength and a personality evaluation to gauge their capacity for selflessness and competition. Fortunately, everyone passed. As a reward for their success(?), they received the tail paralysis treatment.

From that day onward…

A busy time awaited Raciel. In the mornings, he opened the Star Palace Oriental Medicine Clinic as usual and attended to the general patients who came seeking treatment. In between, he also cared for the inpatients.

But the day didn’t end there. In fact, it only grew busier. He spent his time training Anise and the 50 werewolves to become competent professional nurses.

“Oh my, it’s so busy.”

He had to teach them the basics of patient care, emergency treatment, identification and preparation of herbal medicine, decocting medicine, managing moxibustion, and even running the inpatient ward. There were numerous things that had to be taught one by one.

But it was rewarding. The true joy of education and nurturing? Not quite.

‘After this training is complete, things will ease up, won’t they? They will be able to attend to the patients themselves and swiftly prepare the decoctions. All I’ll have to do is take pulses and make diagnoses. Occasionally, I’ll perform acupuncture. It’s like setting up an auto-battle while playing a game.’

Once the werewolf nurses were fully trained, the automation(?) of the Star Palace Oriental Medicine Clinic would become a reality. Raciel could focus on the easier tasks while treating patients. The bonus lifespan would naturally accumulate.

‘That’s why having a system in place when you work is crucial!’

It applied to everything in the world.

Even in social life.

There was a reason why a queen ant laid eggs abundantly and indulged in hearty meals. There was a reason why professors mentored graduate students and set them up for auto-battles. In the same vein, Raciel nurtured a grand dream of automating the Star Palace Oriental Medicine Clinic.

Gradually, Anise and the werewolves, who were initially clumsy, grew more accustomed to their nursing training with each passing day. They adapted to the paralysis of their tails and the constant movements of their toes.

And finally, after about a month had passed…

Ding dong!

[You have successfully completed the localized paralysis treatment of the tails for patient Anise and the 50 werewolves using precise acupuncture. Anise and the 50 werewolves have fully adapted to their toes moving in place of their tails and will not face social difficulties in their interpersonal relationships.]

[As this procedure does not directly extend lifespan, the Medical Billing (Lv. 2) skill has not been activated.]

[However, the Five Viscera and Six Bowels applaud your unique and innovative acupuncture technique.]

[Your heart cheers.]

[Your lungs breathe heavily.]

[Your large intestine chuckles as its villi shake.]

[Your liver waves a glow stick and dances.]

[The liver’s commotion triggers the principle of Mokgeokto (木克土).]

[A new member of the Five Viscera and Six Bowels with an Earth (土) attribute wakes up grumbling due to the commotion.]

[Your stomach awakens.]

(To be Continued)

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