Giselle spoke nonchalantly to Duke Kalinos. “Of course! Is getting close to someone such a big deal? Just having a conversation like this is how people become close!”
“Is that so? So this is how people get close.”
After that, he remained silent for a while.
Giselle reflected on the conversation they had just had as she watched his back. Even someone who seems perfect has their own pain, like the death of a family member. The Kalinos family seemed to have completely fallen apart after the duke’s brother died.
I can’t make these people’s lives happy. There’s no need for me to do that either. Still, somehow, the man’s turned back looked a bit lonely. Just as he’d said, it felt like she’d become at least a bit closer to her mysterious employer, Duke Kalinos.
Giselle’s secret resolve grew stronger bit by bit. First, let’s make sure to save my father-in-law. And if her employer, who was offering 5 billion, became happy in the process, well, that would be a nice bonus.
* * *
It was the next morning. When I went to see Giyet, I was met with his deeply contemplative expression.
“Grandma has recovered, and the other hat makers of Blue Lagoon have also survived too.”
“Have you been deceived all this time?”
“Thanks to you, Grandma is getting better and better. I’m sure this kindness wasn’t given for no reason.”
“Of course, I want something in return. There’s no way I wouldn’t.”
Giyet looked at me as if he had seen someone incredibly straightforward.
I shrugged and continued. “Since you’ve already figured it out, I’ll be direct. Treat Neslan Kalinos, the former duke.”
“Why?”
“Because I want be~come an archmage by healing Neslan and receiving the magic formulas he creates.”
Giyet seemed to understand clearly. “I get it, but… becoming the personal doctor of the duke’s family won’t be easy. I’ve been out of the limelight for over three years, so nobody remembers me.”
His reputation was indeed quite remarkable. However, now, three years later, countless renowned doctors were making waves across the empire. Giyet would likely have to prove himself again to regain his former glory and become the duke family’s doctor.
But I flashed a confident smile. “If you’re worried about fame, there’s no need.”
“What do you mean?”
“I’ll help you become famous again. But there’s one condition.” I shook the potion bottle I had in my pocket and grinned. “This is the potion called <Goph> that heals your grandmother. You know it, right?”
“…Yes. I couldn’t find where it’s sold, though.”
“I want you to use this medicine openly. So both you and <Goph> become famous together.”
“Using it isn’t difficult. But how exactly do you want me to do it…?”
I pointed my finger at my face. “Just do as I say.”
“…?”
“Actually, I’m a ‘viral marketing expert.’”
Giyet looked momentarily bewildered. His expression seemed to ask, ‘What’s viral marketing?’
I spoke firmly to him. “Alright, let’s head to the capital first. Bring your grandmother along!”
12. How to Save the Father-in-Law
“Did you hear? There’s a doctor blessed by the gods living in that alley over there!”
“What? What doctor?”
“Just come and see!”
Driven by curiosity, people rushed over, and a bright white light emanated from the hands of a figure shrouded in an opaque veil.
“Look. That person healed someone suffering from mana problems and even cured someone poisoned! Isn’t that amazing?”
“Who could he possibly be?”
“Fufu, I did some digging! Apparently, he was a doctor previously, but after wandering around, he returned following a miraculous encounter. Isn’t that amazing?”
Their gazes turned to the grandmother chatting and laughing beneath the wisteria tree.
“Wait, wasn’t that grandmother unable to walk before?”
“Exactly! How is this even possible?”
Everyone watched in wonder as the grandmother under the wisteria tree laughed, chatted, and walked around.
Among the crowd, someone quietly murmured. “Hey, isn’t that person a divine doctor?”
Rumors spread like wildfire about a doctor who could even bring the dead back to life.
Giyet, veiled, glanced sideways at Wot, who was pretending to be an assistant with a proud expression. She held the <Goblin Phlegm>, also known as <Goph>, as if it were a precious treasure, and people kept sneaking glances at it.
How is this promoting anything when she’s just holding it silently?
Sensing his puzzled gaze, Wot playfully used ventriloquism to urge him. “Hey, cover your face with the veil. Wrap yourself in bandages. Put on a performance! Bam bam bam!”
“…A-Alright.” He narrowed his eyes.
“Ladies and gentlemen, this person is a true doctor.”
“Huh, huh?”
“He heals the poor and sick for free. Ah, Grandmother, your wrist hurts, doesn’t it?”
“Well, it does ache a bit whenever it rains.”
“That’s arthritis. Doctor Giyet! Please take a look at this grandmother!”
Though skeptical, the grandmother sat down next to Wot, who smiled warmly.
Giyet watched Wot and the grandmother as if entranced, gripping <Goph> in his hand even tighter.
“Doctor Giyet?”
“Ah, yes. I’ll treat you.”
While treating the grandmother’s arthritis, his gaze remained fixed on Wot. Right now, Wot was demonstrating one of the true virtues of a doctor.
Did she say to help the poor for free while covering my face? It was a moral act he had never considered before. He had always lived a life of luxury, never helping the poor even once in his life. Except for the grandmother who rescued him from the orphanage, he had never tried to save anyone. But now, for the first time, he was helping the poor and unfortunate without any conditions.
I still don’t know what viral means, but could it be that it means to become someone with a strong sense of service?
Viral marketing. In modern times, it means word-of-mouth, but Giyet was completely unaware of this.
He thought about it while wrapping bandages and checking the potion Wot provided. It’s strange. Things go well when Wot is around. Well, I guess I know why. That person, with her clever idea, saved his grandmother and brought him back to live as a doctor once more. And that wasn’t all…
“Doctor, I feel healthier thanks to you!”
“R-Really?”
The boy was overjoyed to see his twisted arm return to its normal state. The boy, whose name Giyet couldn’t even remember, smiled happily and offered a handshake.
“Thank you, Doctor!”
Giyet had become a doctor solely to earn money, always striving to follow his own principles to make a profit. But Wot taught him to serve others, revealing a feeling he had never experienced before. Though a mysterious figure, Wot was undoubtedly someone who had a positive influence on him.
Before receiving any payment, she cured my grandmother completely. Though suspicious, she’s truly a good person.
In reality, Wot was just hiding her identity while working to become a villainess. Moreover, the ‘viral marketing’ was merely to sell more <Goblin Phlegm>. Still, the snowball of misunderstanding continued to roll smoothly.
* * *
“This is strange, w-what’s going on?”
“Why are we receiving so many orders for our potion? Didn’t we totally fail at the ‘Aurum Market’?”
The capital was turned upside down. Researchers from the Kalinos family arrived at work with dark circles under their eyes, bewildered by the flood of inquiries about <Goph>. Upon investigation, they discovered it was all about <Goblin Phlegm>. And the reason for the surge in inquiries was simpler than expected.
“That back-alley doctor used our potion!”
Comments (0)