Omniscient First-Person’s Viewpoint-Chapter 431: Treatment is for Doctors, Nursing is for Nurses

It had been a while since I last saw her, and now she was wearing an unfamiliar nurse’s uniform. Wasn’t she supposed to be an actor? Had she picked up a new hobby of wearing costumes? I looked Hilde up and down and spoke.

“What are you doing here in a nurse’s uniform? Did you get a job?”

“I’m quitting soon. No pay, endless work. The only thing I like is the uniform. If it weren’t for how nice it looks, I would’ve run away last night.”

Hilde grumbled in frustration but then smirked playfully as if she had just thought of something. She patted the fabric of her uniform.

“How do I look, Father? Me, in a nurse’s outfit?”

“The clothes make the person.”

“You mean I look good? Hehe! What’s this? A compliment from you?”

“I was complimenting the outfit.”

It seemed like too fine a uniform to be wasted on just taking care of patients. No, I should think of it the other way around. It was made precisely for those who cared for others—so I should be grateful for their beautiful hearts.

Of course, that didn’t apply to the person in front of me. I asked Hilde, “What kind of intel are you trying to gather here?”

“Shh. Let’s go somewhere without people first. Here, put this on.”

Hilde roughly wrapped bandages around my head and body. In an instant, I looked like a patient. Then she dragged me into an empty hospital room, shut the door, and wedged a piece of paper into the doorframe. After setting up her makeshift trap, she moved deeper into the room and spoke.

“So, Father, you ended up here too.”

“‘Ended up’? Sounds like you’ve already figured something out.”

“Don’t play dumb. You knew from the beginning, didn’t you?”

Hilde gave me a pointed look and crossed her arms.

“Tyrkanzyaka’s dominance has weakened.”

“Oh. Maybe because she was absent for 300 years?”

“That’s part of it. But it’s not just her authority—her raw ‘dominance’ itself has weakened. Tyrkanzyaka is both the heart and the head of the duchy. The vampires she created were nothing more than her limbs. A rebellion was impossible by design....”

Didn’t she used to be in the Sacred Sword Order? No wonder she knew so much about vampires. At the very least, she hadn’t been fumbling around cluelessly in her investigation.

Hilde then shared her most significant finding.

“The vampires are plotting a rebellion. The subordinates of the deceased Elders are the most active, but... they’re not the only ones.”

“You found evidence?”

“One of Ruskinia’s bloodline was killed by Tyrkanzyaka. But as he was dying, he left behind some kind of message. After hearing it, the other bloodlines started moving. I don’t know exactly what it was, but....”

“It was this: ‘Even the Progenitor has cast off her shackles.’ I was there when it happened, so I’m certain.”

“Ugh. Then the worst-case scenario has come true. The Progenitor has lost some kind of influence—the very dominance that made her the Progenitor. And...”

Hilde casually pushed me against the wall. Thunk. My back hit the surface, and with a sharp expression, she cornered me.

“It was you, wasn’t it, Father?”

I feigned ignorance without hesitation.

“Me? What? How?”

“Don’t play dumb. There have been reports that the Progenitor’s subordinates seem weaker than what’s recorded in history. Yuel couldn’t see clearly in the darkness, so the data isn’t entirely reliable, but... if Tyrkanzyaka’s anomaly started before she even emerged from the Abyss, then it had to be either Shei or you.”

“Shei did it.”

“If Tyrkanzyaka believed that, she would’ve followed Shei. Don’t make me go against my instincts, Father.”

Even without mind-reading, overwhelming power could force the truth out.

I had no choice. The more facts were exposed, the harder it was to lie. I admitted it.

“It was a side effect. Tyr’s weakening wasn’t intentional. I only fulfilled her wish.”

“What did you do?”

“I restored her heart—to how it was when she was alive.”

“What? Someone else’s heart, and a vampire Progenitor’s at that? How? The paradox should— Wait, is that another power the King of Humans possesses?”

“Probably.”

“Then... this means the Progenitor has been revived.”

Hilde tried to piece together the situation, her expression growing troubled. Even someone like her—who once oversaw the darkness of a military state—couldn’t fully grasp the big picture in an unfamiliar land.

“I can’t predict what’ll happen next, not even I can~. Who knows where this is going? But one thing’s for sure: soon, a massive bloodbath will break out, and ‘we’ have two choices. One—run away. The other...”

Hilde let out a deep sigh.

“We fight on the Progenitor’s side. We warn her in advance, rally her allies, and crush the rebels. The first option is safer but gains us nothing. The second is dangerous but could win us a lot in the duchy.”

“This is full-blown palace intrigue.”

“And you, Father, are the breathtakingly beautiful consort who caused the fracture~. While I would be the poor maid struggling to manage her unruly mistress from behind.”

“What kind of maid runs around on her own like this?”

“A real maid works on behalf of the lady when she can’t move. Anyway, Father, are you running or staying?”

“This is my mess. I can’t just run away.”

Even if I do leave, I need to see it through to the end. This was all my doing. I said so with firm resolve, but Hilde seemed to take it a little differently. She nodded knowingly.

"That’s right. We have to win here if we want to gain everything. If we run away, whether the rebels win or the Progenitor wins, we will be seen as a nuisance either way."

"Hilde, I’m counting on you. I trust you’ll handle it."

"You have to work too, Father! This is for your beloved Tyrkanzyaka, for the military state that will be yours, and for me—and for yourself! If the Progenitor loses, the rebels will behead the troublemaking consort and her handmaid first!"

"Alright, so I just need to warn Tyr and have her cut down the rebels before they can take root? Sounds like a job fitting for a consort."

"Seducing women is your specialty, after all. I’ll leave the pillow talk to you~."

...Hold on. That could be seriously misunderstood if someone overheard.

"What pillow talk? Why do you keep trying to paint me as some woman-crazed fool? That’s not who I am! If I were, at least I wouldn’t feel so wrongly accused."

"Huh? You weren’t? That’s odd, considering how you only keep female vampires around~."

"That was Scarlet Duke’s doing. Besides, vampires don’t even feel anything, so whatever you’re imagining never happened."

Well... though things were different now that they were regaining their senses.

Unaware of the full extent of what went on in the highest chamber of the Lunar Castle, Hilde gave me a pitying look.

"Oh, really~? That must be a shame. Even if Tyrkanzyaka is infamous as a vampire, her beauty is also legendary. Yet as her consort, you don’t get any benefits... Ah!"

Suddenly, Hilde covered her face with the wooden plaque she carried. When she lowered it, ‘Tyr’ was smiling mischievously at me—an expression the real Tyrkanzyaka would never make.

Hilde, now playing the part of Tyr, approached me and tapped my chest, whispering seductively.

"If you ever want something, just say the word. I am perfectly alive, and I can mimic both the body and face of Tyrkanzyaka. Instead of a beautiful but unfeeling statue of a Progenitor... I can serve you, Father~."

...Why was she always trying to frame me like this?

I was about to object to her slander, but then I paused and thought for a moment.

...Actually, if I really thought about it, there wasn’t anything bad about this for me, was there?

"Thanks for the offer. I’ll make use of it later."

"...What?"

"Unfortunately, I’ll have to decline the nurse’s services for now. I only stepped out for a moment."

I pointed at the paper Hilde had wedged in the doorframe. It was vibrating slightly from the movement of energy—someone was approaching.

Hilde noticed it too and got ready to leave. She covered her face with the wooden plaque, shifting back to her own form, then lowered it just enough to hide her mouth as she spoke.

"Just a warning, but don’t push the Progenitor’s patience too far, alright? Winning the gamble doesn’t mean much if you lose everything afterward."

"Push her patience? What exactly do you mean?"

"I mean flirting with other women like you did just now. I won’t say anything, but if Tyrkanzyaka really got her heart back, making her jealous would be a dangerous game for you, Father."

"You were the one who started it, and now you’re the one demanding my loyalty?"

New novel 𝓬hapters are published on ƒreewebɳovel.com.

"It’s a consort’s fate. Well then, I’ll take my leave~."

Leaving behind her cryptic warning, Hilde slipped out through the window. Not a single sound. Like a snake slithering over a wall, her movements were eerily quiet.

Moments after she disappeared, the door opened, and the paper she had wedged fluttered to the ground.

Count Erthe stepped in, momentarily confused by the sudden falling paper. Then he spotted me and approached.

"The matter has been settled. My apologies for any distress. The Ain who lost their Elder have become as reckless as wild stallions."

"If they’re dead, that’s enough. I don’t care."

"...If that is how the consort feels, then that is fortunate. However, in the Duchy, the death of an Ain is not so simple a matter. I suggest returning to the Lunar Castle immediately. You should inform the Progenitor of what has transpired and ensure your safety. As long as you remain there, you will be secure. Meanwhile, I will report to the Scarlet Duke and handle the aftermath of the traitor Lutric."

That sounded... very similar to what Hilde had said. Take shelter under Tyr’s protection and prepare.

It was a reasonable suggestion, no doubt. But...

"Wait a second. If I tell Tyr about what happened here, she’ll assign me a guard detail, won’t she?"

"Of course."

"And that means I won’t be able to leave the castle as easily anymore. I’d have escorts trailing me whenever I step outside."

"That would be inevitable, but only for a short while."

"I’ve had enough of vampires’ idea of ‘short.’ How long are we talking? A month? A year?"

"At the very least, until the night tides recede."

"What? That’s way too long!"

Erthe blinked at my complaint. He was momentarily at a loss for words.

So, as the reckless consort, I made a perfectly fitting proposal.

"Let’s keep this between us. This never happened."

"Why? There is no reason to conceal this from the Progenitor. Your safety is her highest priority. If she knew, she would take the appropriate measures."

"But I can’t be stuck inside the castle the entire time, can I? Even if I go out, it’ll be suffocating to have guards swarming around me. Wouldn’t it be better to just keep this under wraps? Tyr has plenty on her plate—why burden her with minor concerns?"

...Wow. That sounded exactly like some spoiled noble lady.

Erthe must have thought the same, because he looked at me again—this time, with less respect.

"Please reconsider. This is—"

"Count Erthe, you should reconsider. I’m Tyr’s consort. Who understands Tyr’s feelings better than me? That means I should have the final say in matters concerning her. Besides, the Scarlet Duke assigned you to assist me, didn’t he?"

Bringing up the Scarlet Duke left Erthe with no choice. With a resigned look, he relented.

"...Understood. However, you must take me along whenever you leave the castle."

‘At first, I thought his actions were sudden yet decisive. But now, I see it’s just a lack of caution. This is troublesome. Unlike vampires, humans die far too easily. How am I supposed to protect him? Even with just two Ain present, things would already be difficult to handle....’

She was a vampire who had been through countless struggles. She knew better than anyone that humans didn’t always make rational decisions.

Erthe had begun to see me as a foolish child.

"Hmm. Since I’m already here, how about I take a look around the hospital?"

"A battle just took place here— No, never mind. Do as you please."

‘They say a consort’s influence can destabilize a nation. I never imagined I’d see that unfold here in the Duchy.’

And with that, the loyal retainer’s worries only deepened, sinking further into the darkness of the Duchy.