Doctor Resignation

Erhan always liked his cousin, Frederick.

After his father passed away a few years ago, his mother, the Duchess, always suffered from mysterious headaches. Nevertheless, she has always been busy managing the land.

In addition, Erhan was a weak child and often fall down and lie in bed. But to him, who had no brothers and was always alone, Frederick was the only brother he had played with since he was very young.

Moreover, Frederick was the only one who worried about him and said the ‘right thing’ to him.

“You will have a headache tomorrow after taking etiquette’s class.”

“But Sir Jeffrey said I was in a good condition—”

“You will experience a terrible headache tomorrow, trust me.”

The next day, as Frederick said, he had a terrible headache.

“Don’t eat too much meat or vegetables. If you gain weight, everyone will ignore you.”

“Perelman told me not to leave food and always eat them—”

“You will get a stomachache after you finish eating them.”

As Frederick said, he suffered from a stomach ache after the next day.

So Erhan kept listening to Frederick.

His doctor, Sir Perelman, recommended that he move often and eat well. But Erhan was afraid that Frederick would never come back if he didn’t listen to his words. Frederick was his only brother and friend.

“Of course, you can’t tell your doctor or your mother what I told you.”

“Why?”

“Sir Perelman won’t let me play with you because he wouldn’t let you listen to me. Then the Duchess, who always follows his advice, won’t let me come again.”

“Really?”

“Then you have no one to play ball with and no one to talk to.”

Erhan was six years old when his father, the Duke of Casseus, died.

At that time, the Duchess was not in a situation to take good care of Erhan. She had fallen into anxiety and stress because of losing her husband, and a sudden authority to manage the land was too much for her.

For a six-year-old boy, Frederick who often came and played with him was more reliable than Perelman, who was too scary.

Thus, seven years later, he turned thirteen.

In the meantime, Erhan didn’t play as much as other kids his age for fear of becoming the laughing stock of others

He didn’t eat properly because he was afraid of gaining weight.

He never read or studied or he would have a headache because of too much knowledge, as Frederick always said.

He was a thirteen-year-old boy who was not educated by a teacher, nor did he learn swordsmanship from an eligible knight.

There were so many situations where his life was on the verge of death.

Whenever Perelman did a check on Erhan, he managed to save him somehow and only gave him a medicine prescription. But he didn’t force her to change his lifestyle.

His role was to check his physical condition as a good doctor, not because Erhan was still a child.

In addition, he also had circumstances in which he could not care about anyone else. He was half crazy and kept looking for his lost daughter.

Even if the Duke of Casseus had not died, the cold Duchess would beg him to stay. Perelman would never have imagined getting attached to the Duchy.

Erhan slowly weakened amidst the adults’ neglect.

He also had a chronic disease that was difficult to cure because he did not eat well and did not move regularly.

***

Right now, Erhan was playing ball with Frederick, who had been here for a long time. He lowered his shoulders when Frederick told him not to play ball again.

Erhan was depressed thinking that he could never do anything. It was then.

“He is still thirteen.”

They flinched when they heard a voice from the back. A pretty girl with brown bobbed hair and green eyes was looking straight at them.

Well it’s me.

“His growth development is not the same as a seventeen-year-old, Young Master Frederick.”

It was Frederick who answered my bold statement.

“Who are you? I have never seen you in the Duchy……”

Looking at the pretty and luxurious clothes, I really didn’t look like a girl working as a servant in the mansion.

But he knew that there was no girl of Erhan’s age who was in the Duchy.

I did not answer Frederick’s question but asked back, tilted my head innocently.

“Sir Frederick, I just heard that Baron Ishid was looking for you. Don’t you think you should go?”

Frederick was suspicious but couldn’t treat me in a rude manner because my dress was too luxurious.

From my dignified tone to expensive accessories, he must have thought that I am a noble lady.

“You seemed to be in a hurry. Go ahead, Sir.”

‘I’ve never seen her before, and she even knows Baron Ishid. I don’t think she’s talking nonsense.’

“Okay.”

Frederick put a handful of snacks in Erhan’s pocket and went back into the mansion.

Only then did I smile brightly at Erhan.

“I’m thirteen years old too, would you like to play ball with me?“

It was the first time for Erhan to see a girl his age wandering around the Casseus’ Garden.