Weren’t You the One Who Was Dying? – Chapter 36

Author: Asternkm

Just moments ago, I’d been thinking that I wanted to sit there blankly and do nothing, but now, I even felt relieved that at least I could clear my head and keep moving.

*****

“Healer, please hurry! Baron Winhen is waiting.”

The train was large, and inside it were all kinds of people, from commoners to nobles.

The stationmaster, who had been pacing nervously until I finished treating someone injured in the fifth-class car, practically dragged me along the moment I withdrew my hands and took me to first class.

“Is he badly hurt?”

“Well… injury is a relative thing.”

As soon as we reached the café car of the first-class train, the stationmaster hurriedly opened the door.

The moment it opened, people dressed in obviously luxurious clothes came into view. The passengers in that car—likely wealthy tycoons or members of prestigious families—all turned to look at us at once.

Their gazes were slightly irritable and bored, and without realizing it, I tensed up a little.

Who is Baron Winhen? I feel like I’ve heard the name somewhere before.

“Who exactly is Baron Win—”

“Are they finally here?!”

Before I could finish my sentence, a shout came from inside. A man who was presumably Baron Winhen was leaning back on a sofa, dressed in glossy, expensive-looking clothes.

“Baron, please show me your injur—”

“Why are you only coming now?!”

“I was treating patients who were more urgent first.”

The profession of healer had no class restrictions, but it was mostly commoners who became one.

Healing divine power was inherited only once every few generations, and noble or prestigious families rarely had anyone who inherited it—that was one of the reasons.

But rare didn’t mean none, and I considered myself quite lucky to have inherited divine power.

Honestly, unless noble honor could put food on the table, what could be more of a blessing than receiving a special ability like this?

‘Though sometimes, special abilities do turn into poison.’

In Ehit’s case, it was hard to call his ability a blessing. No matter how exceptional it was, it would ultimately lead him to death.

“Are they the only ones in a hurry? I’m in a hurry too!!”

Baron Winhen shouted again with a fierce expression.

Right. The fact that healer had no class restrictions also meant this kind of treatment was common.

People who came to official medical institutions were usually polite and well-mannered—but occasionally, there were people like this.

Already used to such situations, I simply put on my professional smile and asked politely again.

“I heard you injured your arm. Could you show me the wound?”

“Answer me! Am I more urgent, or not?”

Usually people stopped after one round, but this baron was dragging it out.

What’s more, his wife and grown daughter were sitting right in front of him.

“Yes. I’m sure your injury hurt a lot, Baron. I’m sorry I was late.”

“So you knew that and still came late? Then tell me—was that your fault, or not?”

“…….”

“Answer me already!”

I pressed down hard on the ‘dangerous beast’ inside me that was trying to wake up.

After steadying my slightly shaking breath, I smiled again and asked once more.

“You must have been very uncomfortable. Could you please show me the wound?”

“So you admit you were wrong? Then shouldn’t you apologize properly to me?”

“…….”

“Answer me! Should you apologize, or not?!”

I swear I heard something crack. My already overheated head felt like it was burning.

“Baron. Please show me the wound.”

“Apologize first!”

That was it. Just as my mental dam was about to break and the dangerous beast was about to leap out—

“Enough.”

A low, short word came from the side. The baron turned his head in that direction.

I also turned my head toward the voice that had said “Enough,” like scolding a child.

“…Who was that? Who said ‘enough’?”

Baron Winhen stood up, fuming.

“Oh, my apologies. I thought a sturdy adult man was speaking?”

A voice came from the seat behind the baron’s sofa. It sounded like a woman just shy of middle age, and even from a single sentence, her refined tone was clear.

“When I saw someone throwing a tantrum, I thought a child had boarded the train. But when I didn’t see any children, I wondered—turns out it was you.”

The moment he recognized who it was, Baron Winhen’s face stiffened.

His tone and expression quickly turned polite.

“Ah, g-good day.”

“Good day, Baron Winhen.”

It was a noblewoman wearing a red dress and a black shawl.

With her legs crossed and arms folded, she cast a glance at Baron Winhen.

“If you’re done with your treatment, leave. It’s my turn now.”

“Ah, y-yes, understood.”

“Haha, I was joking. What exactly do you understand? You haven’t even been treated yet, Baron.”

Her way of speaking strangely grated on people’s nerves—but from the outside, it felt extremely satisfying.

The baron’s daughter gently tugged at his sleeve as he stood there, eyes darting.

“…Here.”

The baron held out his wrist to me.

The injury he’d been shouting about was nothing more than a tiny scrape.

As soon as the treatment ended, Baron Winhen left the car with his wife and daughter. I gathered my medical kit and stood up as well, when the noblewoman from earlier gestured for me to come over.

She motioned me to sit in front of her, then casually placed her leg up on the table.

“Where are you going? I said it’s my turn next.”

So that wasn’t a joke?

Since she’d effectively requested treatment, I checked her leg. There was a scraped wound near her ankle.

She was wearing high-heeled shoes, and it looked like the back of the heel had caused the scratch.

“To think that stopping by just one city after finishing my southern trip would end like this. It’s extremely irritating.”

“Pardon?”

“I said it’s extremely irritating.”

As I treated her, she complained calmly while looking out the train window.

‘Who is she? If a baron is that intimidated, she must outrank him.’

Sensing my gaze, the woman turned her head toward me. Our eyes met.

She nodded toward my hands, still working on the treatment.

“You’re quite skilled. Useful.”

“Yes, I hear that pretty often, haha.”

“You didn’t lose your nerve even in front of Baron Winhen.”

“Did it look that way?”

“The baron, too. For someone who’s a deputy director of the Investigation Bureau, he has no dignity at all, don’t you think?”

I just smiled, and the woman rested her chin on her hand, looking at me with interest.

“You didn’t take the bait. I even had a response prepared if you agreed.”

“I try not to agree lightly on things I don’t know much about.”

The woman slowly nodded.

“Yes, yes.”

A relaxed smile appeared on her face, tinged with curiosity.

‘Why is she looking at me like that?’

As I refocused on the treatment, she suddenly spoke again.

“Interesting.”

“…?”

Had I heard that right? Interesting?

She wore an expression just like an arrogant rich male lead from a novel, delivering the line with equal arrogance.

“It’s done.”

Enough. I needed to leave quickly.

“You’re going to treat the fifth-class passengers next?”

“I don’t really decide based on class. I go in the order of who needs it most.”

“So you don’t care who the patient is.”

“Excuse me?”

“You’re saying you only look at the wound, not the person.”

What was she trying to say?

Standing up, I thought over her words, then carefully asked,

“Are you saying people should be treated differently?”

The woman nodded as if she understood.

“Don’t make that face. Healers often say that everyone’s life has equal value. It’s an ideal statement, of course—but also a very basic one.”

“You think it’s too basic?”

“Yes. But I do agree with your actions. If someone had died while you were treating the baron, it would’ve been troublesome. It could’ve affected your future as a healer.”

“That’s not why I treated him later. I just think it’s arrogant to believe I can judge who deserves treatment and who doesn’t.”

“So Baron Winhen was pushed back in your standards because of that?”

“He wasn’t pushed back. There were simply people who needed treatment more than him.”

“What’s the difference?”

The sudden argument drew attention. Passengers in the car glanced over, then quickly looked away the moment they saw the woman.

Who is she, exactly?

‘Maybe I went too far. I could’ve just said “no” and left.’

Between people’s reactions and her natural air of dignity, it was hard not to feel a bit intimidated.

But we’d probably never meet again anyway.

So in the end, I said the words I’d been holding back.

“…To be ‘pushed back’ means you had a front position to begin with. The baron’s place was simply in the back from the start.”

After saying that, I shut my mouth.