c10 (2/2)

He was probably caught in the atmosphere.

“… haa. Ah, I beg your pardon doctor s.h.i.+zuru. I thought I might be getting in the way of your work, so up until now I have avoided being such a nuisance by coming here even though I wasn’t injured. … however! Ah, however!”

As she went on with her speech she looked up to the ceiling as if lamenting. She then came up to s.h.i.+zuru and took his hand.

Then from point blank range, she gazed into his face.

“— may I have the honor of a kiss?”

“No”

s.h.i.+zuru rejected Rosa’s appeal by reflex.

While he certainly did not dislike the woman, but he was rather not good at these sorts of things.

“Ah, is that so … I, was worried”

Rosa continued just as abruptly.

“I heard from the garrison guards that they found several corpses early this morning”

“…”

The speech delivered in a sad tone made s.h.i.+zuru’s eyes open wide.

Unrest filled his chest. He went back to normal within a moment, but whether or not Rosa noticed it, she continued.

“The bodies were killed in cold blood. Not enough of them were left to even identify”

“… that’s, a tragic story”

I don’t want to hear that from you!

s.h.i.+zuru’s heart said to him.

“Attacks like these have been conspicuous as of late. I was worried and worried, what if this happens to my s.h.i.+zuru …”

“I, I’ll be fine … there’s no one out there who’s out for my life, so there’s …”

“You who practically gives away medical treatments for free aren’t well liked among your peers. Can you still say the same?”

He couldn’t. Not few people held goodwil toward him as a physician, but there were also a considerable number of people who don’t.

In particular, his fellow physicians. s.h.i.+zuru knew very well that there were no small numbers of them who resented him.

In all things, doing one thing will set you back on others.

“I had come to hear the name of the a.s.sa.s.sins Black Maria lately. Does doctor s.h.i.+zuru know of them?”

“Y … yes, well … the rumors that is”

He affected a nonchalant nod, but s.h.i.+zuru was not at all calm inside.

Within the capital, Black Maria wasn’t the only group to commit crimes.

When the name came out so specifically, he began to imagine the worst case scenario where the fact that he was a member became noticed.

“Should you encounter the lawless bunch, please call out my name as loud as you can. If it’s you doctor s.h.i.+zuru, I will be certain to hear no matter when and where you are. On my honor as a knight I promise to come for you!”

“A, ahaha … then I’ll be counting on you when the time comes …”

But Rosa didn’t seem at all like she was suspecting s.h.i.+zuru. Instead, she was actually worried for his well being.

Then, since she seemed to have made time when she was busy, she went and left after half an hour.

“Haah …”

After Rosa left, s.h.i.+zuru exhaled the contents of his lung as if expelling all the nervousness he had been holding.

… rather, when one thinks about it, no royal knight commander under heaven would come out for the sake for a member of a criminal organization.

Now that it’s pa.s.sed, s.h.i.+zuru scratched his cheek, wasn’t I worried too much?

“Still, that was bad for the heart … in any case, she’s stronger than Ca.s.sie and Lady put together, isn’t she …”

As an a.s.sa.s.sin, he could generally figure out the strength of the person in front of him.

In s.h.i.+zuru’s opinion, among the almost 50 members of Black Maria, only Richelieu could fight Rosa on even terms.

“Which means, I’m right out of the question. Being able to hold her own against that monster, Richelieu’s a real demon”

A Commander of a royal order of knights wasn’t someone one can get to know just because one wanted it.

The risks were high, but for that, the returns were immeasurable.

If it comes to it, do consider ensnaring her, s.h.i.+zuru remembered Richelieu say again and again.

“AAaaah … I’m really in a black business …”

He hates himeself for not being able to say no.

s.h.i.+zuru stared at the ceiling and thought, I want to go pet Lady’s fur and release all this stress

His groans echoed again and again throughout the clinic until the doorbell signaling a new patient sounded.

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