Crown Prince Sells Medicine

Living with a predetermined end date can evoke feelings of melancholy. The sensation of taking each step towards an inevitable demise, with no means of declining or delaying it, is a sentiment that is difficult to grasp for those who have not undergone it.

This theme is ubiquitous in dramas, movies, and other forms of media.

Despite the various depictions of a life with a deadline, Raciel believed that individuals who have cared for a terminally ill loved one may have a better understanding of the experience.

In Korea, Raciel had personally witnessed this phenomenon when his father battled with an incurable illness, and the family had to come to terms with his passing.

“But this is…”

[Your expected lifespan has increased by (+)1 day.]

[Estimated lifespan: 92 days]

Gulp.

Raciel involuntarily swallowed the dryness in his mouth, as he couldn’t believe what he was witnessing before his very eyes. The realization that something he thought was completely impossible had materialized left him stunned.

“Is this really happening?”

Despite witnessing it firsthand, he struggled to come to terms with the reality. 

He was now the patient with a limited lifespan, as confirmed by examining his pulse with a medical skill. The diagnosis revealed that he had a mere 91 days left to live, which was shorter than the duration of a standard mobile phone contract. 

Although it was difficult to accept, the prognosis was undeniable.

“Has my life expectancy increased thanks to acupuncture?”

Was his acupuncture that great?

Raciel didn’t think so.

“It’s just acupuncture that’s usually given to ordinary patients at a Korean medicine clinic, but done a little more carefully.”

Nevertheless, there was no denying the effectiveness of acupuncture. His breathing had noticeably improved, and the wheezing, reminiscent of a damaged flute, had diminished considerably.

“Let’s try it again!”

Like a spring gushing out from a deep mountain, the motivation that had been sleeping deep in his heart burst forth.

“Have all the needles been sterilized?”

“Yes, Your Highness. But… are you going to pierce yourself again?”

“Of course. Come here. Hurry.”

Raciel urged Gardin and  received eleven new needles. After assuming the correct position once again, he held the needle with his left hand and inserted it into the right side of his body, targeting the UB 13 acupoint, following the same order and depth as before.

Thud! Thud-thud! Thud!

He worked methodically, starting from the central point (Zhongbu) meridian, moving on to Arm Yin (Unmun), Heaven’s Circle (Cheonbu), and Converging at the Throat (Hyeopbaek), while appropriately stimulating each point along the way. Finally, he thoroughly pierced the Small Intestine meridian without skipping any. 

Then, a message appeared in front of his eyes.

Ding-dong!

[You have completed your acupuncture treatment targeting the right half of your body’s UB13 acupoint.]

[However, your body is still struggling with excessive acupuncture.]

[At your current physical level, acupuncture is recommended once every 3 days.]

[Your internal organs show resistance to excessive and overly aggressive acupuncture.]

[The lungs are cringing due to excessive stimulation.]

[The lungs‘ mental state is evaporating with a sobbing sound.]

‘…Uh-oh.’

Raciel had overlooked a crucial aspect of acupuncture – it was not a panacea. The process of stimulating nerves and blood vessels with needles demanded a certain level of physical strength from the patient, which was why many people experienced “needle fatigue” during treatment. 

However, in his case, his body had no strength to begin with. It was as if the energy residing in his body was equivalent to the meager happiness index left in hastily poured sweet and sour pork sauce.

“…Hoo, huff.”

Raciel experienced a faint dizziness, which indicated that his body was indeed experiencing strain, as the message had warned. He took a deep breath and carefully removed the needles. 

Simultaneously, he quickly performed mental calculations in his head.

‘Let’s summarize. If the content of that message is true, acupuncture does have an effect. My life expectancy increased by one day. But there’s a downside. I can only use it once every three days.’

Acupuncture once every three days.

If his life expectancy increases by one day each time, he could postpone his death by about a month.

But that’s not enough. He couldn’t be satisfied with just delaying death. A more reliable method is needed.

‘Or, I could build up my strength to receive acupuncture every day.’

Then, he could increase his life expectancy every day. He would be able to push back death significantly.

To do that…

‘Elixirs are the best!’

The solution seemed obvious – when it came to rejuvenation and energy restoration, elixirs were undoubtedly the best choice.

‘I’ll eat more meals and take elixirs as well. I’ll consume everything that is good for my body while gradually exercising.’

Then, he could break free from the confines of his weak physical state. He began to contemplate the details of his plan, considering what type of decoction he should prepare and how he could acquire the necessary medicinal herbs.

Thinking and reviewing the early development of the story, he spent the night exploring, searching, and contemplating.

♣ ♣ ♣ ♣ ♣ ♣ 

The dawn broke, and as soon as Raciel woke up, he raised his hand to inspect it.

“…….”

In the faint morning light filtering through the window, he stared intently at the back of his hand, but something was missing. The scar that had once been etched in the center of his hand was no longer visible.

‘It was a scar I got while going for a walk with Jindol.’

The large creature in its exuberance had scratched Raciel’s hand with its claw, leaving behind a scar that remained visible in the center of his hand. However, as he inspected his hand now, he noticed that the scar was entirely gone, and his hand was perfectly smooth.

Moreover, it was a delicate and beautiful hand that had never suffered any hardships.

‘…I had a hunch, but it’s real.’

Upon waking up, Raciel entertained the thought of waking up in his room in Korea, and he had even hoped for it in his dreams. 

However, as expected, it was merely wishful thinking that didn’t materialize.

‘Tsk.’

Raciel was now confident that what he was experiencing was not a delusion or a dream. He had indeed become Crown Prince Raciel Adria Magentano and was now living his life. 

However, with only 91 days left to live, he was still faced with the harsh reality of his limited lifespan.

‘Sigh, my fate.’

Annoyed, Raciel reached out. Beside the bed, within reach, there was a small golden bell.

Jingle-jingle.

As he rang the bell, a rustling sound came from the other side of the bedroom. After some fumbling and groaning,

“…Your Highness? Did you call for me?”

The sound of Gardin’s voice drifted into the room from the auxiliary chamber located on one side of the bedroom. His voice sounded sleepy, indicating that he might have been in a deep slumber.

Raciel chuckled and said,

“Are you awake now? Despite your appearance, you seem to have quite the lack of conscience.”

“Eh? Lack of… conscience?”

As he rubbed the sleep from his eyes and emerged from the auxiliary room, Gardin wore a bewildered expression.

A grumble formed at the corner of Raciel’s mouth.

“You have a handsome face and you’re tall. You look quite perfect. Just by looking at your appearance, you seem to be flawless in every way.”

“Th-thank you.”

“Thank me? I’m currently scolding you.”

“…Yes?”

“You’re my attending physician, right? Taking care of my health is your job. But you’re sleeping in later than your patient?”

“Ah, well, that’s…”

Gardin’s expression immediately became flustered, indicating that he was overwhelmed by the truth.

Raciel said to him,

“Of course, I know. You must be tired too. You’re exhausted from taking care of me all day. But in an hour, the sun will rise. If you’re a proper attending physician, and if the patient you’re looking after is in critical condition, it’s a basic courtesy to check on the patient’s condition around this time.”

“…You’re absolutely right. I apologize.”

Gardin’s handsome middle-aged face was tinged with guilt. Raciel felt a bit sorry inside.

‘Sorry for scolding you first thing in the morning, Gardin.’

But it couldn’t be helped.

After all, Gardin was his attending physician. He couldn’t just let him neglect him and sleep comfortably in the early morning.

‘Considering my remaining life span, I could experience a high fever, seizures, or breathing difficulties in the early morning.’

The majority of ailments often intensify between nighttime and early morning, which is evident from enduring a dreadful cold or flu.

Despite the potential inconvenience to his attending physician, he knew it was essential to ensure that Gardin remained alert and attentive during those critical hours.

With this in mind, Raciel cast an apparently piercing stare.

“From now on, no more oversleeping. Make sure to wake up before me and check on my condition. Understood?”

“I will keep that in mind, Your Highness.”

Gardin acquiesced and bowed his head, indicating his agreement with Raciel’s request. For the time being, this arrangement would suffice.

Raciel knew that Gardin was a faithful and trustworthy man.

‘Even in the early part of the novel “Devil Sword Emperor,” it was like that.’

There was never a detailed description of Gardin. However, indirectly, by looking at the development and events of the novel, one could tell that Gardin was a loyal person.

‘Prince Raciel’s illness worsened day by day. Initially, there were quite a few attending physicians, but one by one, they left their positions. No, actually, they escaped.’

Most of the attending physicians must have come to the realization that there was little hope for the prince, regardless of the level of treatment or care they provided. No matter how sincere their efforts were, his life expectancy remained limited.

Once this realization dawned on them, the physicians would concoct various excuses and reasons to abandon their post, staging a mass escape to avoid the inevitable outcome.

They, too, were afraid of death.

‘When a royal family member dies, the attending physician who was in charge also bears the responsibility and gets executed.’

As a result, only Gardin, who used to be an assistant physician, was left as the attending physician.

The most honest.

The most loyal.

The person with the greatest sense of responsibility ultimately took all the responsibility and faced a beheading in one shot.

‘…That was the sad ending he met.’

Raciel raised his head.

Gardin, who was uneasy due to his untimely morning scolding, and he himself, who had possessed a frail body in a strange world, felt truly fortunate to have such a loyal subject.

‘If I want to execute the plan I made last night… such a loyal subject is essential.’

No matter what he did.

No matter what kind of crazy thing he pulled off.

He needed someone who would trust and follow him, like Gardin, who was right in front of him.

“So, Gardin?”

“Yes, Your Highness?”

“I have a task for you.”

“What… kind of task?”

“Why? Are you already worried and scared?”

“…”

“Are you afraid I’ll make you do something strange like last night?”

“…”

“Sigh. Instead of looking at me with such strange eyes, just nod your head.”

Nod nod.

“…”

Gardin, who was watching his cue, nodded his head.

Raciel couldn’t help but smile.

“To reassure you in advance, I’m not going to do anything strange.”

“Really…?”

“Of course.”

“But, Your Highness.”

“Hmm?”

“Last night, you harmed yourself with a needle, didn’t you?”

“…It wasn’t self-harm.”

“Still, you poked your neck, shoulders, arms, and hands with a needle.”

“It wasn’t like that.”

“I was scared.”

“…”

“Do you know what your expression looks like right now?”

“What’s wrong with my expression?”

“It’s the same as when you told me to bring needles last night.”

“…So, are you worried about me?”

“Yes, Your Highness.”

“Are you afraid I’ll do something crazy?”

“…Yes, Your Highness.”

“Tsk. It’s okay. You don’t need to worry about that. I won’t make you do anything strange or crazy.”

“Really?”

“Of course.”

Raciel snorted.

“So, I wanted to ask you, in this palace’s food storage, besides regular food ingredients, are there any toxic ones?”

“Yes? If it’s something special…”

“Ingredients for making poison.”

“Of course, we have those. This is the palace, after all.”

“Right. That makes sense. Then, do you have monkshood root?”

“Yes. It’s a good ingredient for making poison.”

“Great. It’s good for the body. Bring it to me.”

“What?”

“Bring it.”

“…You can’t be serious.”

“Yes. I’m going to eat it.”

Raciel beamed with a radiant smile, intending to instill a sense of confidence and positivity.

Gardin, on the other hand, appeared overwhelmed with emotion, his expression conveying a sense of concern and uncertainty, as if wondering how to handle this unpredictable and eccentric prince.