Chapter 2: First Part ①
“Good day, everyone.”
“My name is Iris Camellia.”
“Now then, I shall continue the story.”
The illness I suffer from is called
Congenital Excessive Magic Production Disorder.
Also known as… Angel Disease.
This illness affects infants between the ages of 0 and 7 whose blood contains an abnormal amount of magical power, and it is a genetic disorder.
It is also called Angel Disease.
Angel Disease is more common in families of magicians, and it occurs as a result of repeatedly pairing strong individuals together or through consanguineous marriages in order to preserve superior bloodlines.
In this world, humans can basically use magic.
This is because there is an organ next to the heart called the [Mage Organ], which absorbs magical elements from the air, circulates them through the blood, and refines them into magical power.
It is called the heart of a magician, and humans in this world can generate magical power through this organ.
Angel Disease is an illness of this organ, where it produces magical power at one hundred times the normal rate… and cannot regulate itself.
…If one possesses such an abnormal amount of magical power, it places a burden on the body, causes internal organs to necrotize, and eventually leads to death.
As for the symptoms, first, the entire body begins to feel heavy, as if clad in armor.
Then, in an attempt to expel even a little magical power, the body tries to discharge it along with blood.
Depending on the person, it may appear as bloody stool or blood in urine, but in my case, it manifests as vomiting blood.
In any case, when magical power accumulates in the body, one vomits blood mixed with magic, and there are even cases of death from blood loss…
To prevent that, one must take nine types of medicine after every meal to support organ function, increase blood production, and provide nutrients, as well as receive IV drips.
Furthermore, once a month, a special magical medicine that removes magical power from the blood is injected directly into the bone marrow.
…To be perfectly honest, it hurts terribly.
I cannot get out of bed for an entire day afterward.
Fortunately, I am a girl, so as I grow older, monthly cycles will reduce the frequency of vomiting, and I will be able to endure it to some extent, but during childhood, I frequently cough up blood.
Also, when large amounts of magical power accumulate in the body, the body’s pigments… such as hair and skin color, begin to change.
My golden hair, which resembled my mother’s, has turned pure white, and my skin has also become white… making me look like an angel from mythology.
Perhaps the name Angel Disease comes from the appearance of young children who develop it.
There are three methods of improvement.
One is to learn to control magical power and release it regularly on one’s own.
Another is to train the body and strengthen the internal organs.
The third is to form a contract with a spirit or summoned beast through summoning magic and have them consume the excess magical power.
However, I was born with weak bones and was not suited for physical training.
Therefore, I chose to learn magic to control my own power and to improve my condition by forming a contract through summoning magic.
Some may think that if magic exists, healing magic could cure it, but Angel Disease is a condition where magical power is abnormally produced and accumulated within the body.
Since healing magic involves injecting the caster’s magical power into the patient to enhance their natural healing ability, it cannot be used, making this an intractable disease.
This illness can only be treated by continuously removing magical power in order to protect the internal organs.
Ideally, it would be best to be hospitalized at the Stam National Breme Academy Affiliated Hospital, which is famous for its research on Angel Disease.
However, I am classified as severity level 4, making long-distance travel impossible, and I am incompatible with teleportation magic, as merely standing on a magic circle worsens my condition.
Therefore, once a week, Professor Lark from the Breme Academy Affiliated Hospital comes to visit me.
“Hello, Iris-chan, did you manage to eat all your breakfast today?”
Professor Lark spoke while moving a cat puppet, and although his hair was a bit thin, he was a cheerful and amusing elderly man.
One would never think this old man was one of the world’s leading physicians; he seemed more like a countryside doctor.
“I’m sorry, Professor… I could only manage half.”
“That’s fine, last time you could only eat a third, so this is great progress. Did you cough up any blood?”
“I haven’t for the past three days! Amazing, right?”
“Yes, that’s amazing. You’ve been properly taking your medicine as I told you. Today, I brought someone with me as well.”
“Someone?”
Tilting my head, I looked at the young man standing beside the professor, and my thoughts froze.
Because that person was none other than Granard Apfel, the school doctor from “Ewig Breme.”
With an androgynous beauty that could almost be mistaken for a woman, he was originally a side character, but due to his overwhelming popularity, he became a romanceable character in the fan disc.
In “Ewig Breme,” which means Eternal Flower, the ending is determined by whether the character gives you a flower or not.
However, Granard does not give a flower, but rather a pomegranate.
“…The King of the Underworld fell in love with the Maiden of Flowers. Being clumsy, he wanted to keep her by his side forever, so he made her eat a pomegranate from the land of the dead. If you eat food from the land of the dead… you can never return to the world of the living. And thus, the maiden who ate it became the wife of the King of the Underworld.”
“Giving this to you means… I understand how he felt. So stay by my side. Here, with me… become my one and only flower maiden.”
With such a heart-pounding proposal, fans rejoiced over this clumsy tsundere school doctor.
And now, before me stood Granard-sensei, who in the game had long pomegranate-colored hair, but now had it cut short, looking every bit like a young trainee doctor.
He looked like a sharp, aloof cat… and compared to his seductive self ten years later, this fresh appearance made my past-life soul scream with excitement.
The gap from the original was so overwhelming that…
“Uweh—”
…I ended up coughing up blood.
“I-Iris-chan!!”
“Should I use the hemostatic agent, Lacroton!?”
“Also prepare a transfusion drip. Blood type AB positive, bring the one with magic removed. And just in case, prepare the inspection scope!”
“Yes!”
“Ahh! Young lady, stay with us!!”
Thus, during our very first meeting, I ended up undergoing something like a stomach examination.
It was extremely awkward.
I cannot forget the panicked expression on Granard-sensei’s face.
Exhausted from coughing up blood, I grew sleepy and fell asleep without even properly greeting him.
That was our first meeting.
At that time, I did not realize that this encounter would later become a major turning point in fate, nor that it would create a significant deviation from the original story.
Before him lay a young girl, asleep as if buried in cushions, her face wrapped in a gentle tranquility, making her as lovely as an angel.
Iris Camellia.
Once known in the imperial capital as a candidate for Crown Princess.
But now, her shining golden hair had turned pure white, her rosy cheeks had faded, and her skin was as pale as snow.
There was no trace of the selfish noble lady he had once seen in high society.
It was publicly announced that she could no longer attend social gatherings due to illness, but many believed she had been sent away to the countryside to correct her selfish nature.
Even the Crown Prince, whom he had seen at the palace, showed no interest when she was mentioned, despite her being a candidate for his fiancée.
Considering how attached she had once been to him, it seemed somewhat cold… but to the Crown Prince, she was merely one of many candidates.
Though he did send letters and flowers as get-well gifts, suggesting he maintained proper decorum… it seemed more like consideration toward her father, the marquis, than toward Iris herself.
And so, embellished rumors about her spread throughout society.
Granard, born as the third son of a count’s family, had chosen the path of medicine but had yet to decide his specialty, leaving him troubled.
By chance, Professor Lark passed by and mentioned he was going on a house call to see a child with a rare illness, so Granard accompanied him.
Angel Disease was an exceptionally rare and incurable illness.
It occurred in one out of every ten thousand people, and no effective cure had been found, making it an extremely costly condition to treat.
Most children afflicted with it died, but with proper medication and long-term treatment, survival rates could improve.
Patients with such a rare disease were uncommon, and out of curiosity, Granard followed the professor to a certain estate.
That estate was the Marquis Camellia household, and the patient was Iris Camellia.
Granard was shocked.
What shocked him even more was her condition.
Severity level: 4.
Frankly, it was strange that she was not hospitalized.
It was understandable why she had withdrawn from being a Crown Princess candidate… she was desperately fighting her own body.
There was no trace of the selfish girl who had once clung to the Crown Prince.
She smiled brightly at Professor Lark without despair, perhaps even trying to reassure the adults around her.
At first, the visit went smoothly, but perhaps startled by seeing Granard for the first time, Iris suddenly coughed up blood.
Seeing that, Granard felt as though the world had turned gray and cold.
Though she now slept peacefully, just moments ago she had been clutching the blanket, staining her small mouth red as she painfully coughed up blood.
What affected him most was that she had apologized, saying, “I’m sorry, big brother,” while coughing up blood.
A six-year-old girl… and a gravely ill one at that, apologizing to him…
Granard was deeply shaken.
Watching her frail body tremble as she desperately clung to life, the young doctor bit his lip and clenched his fists.
A six-year-old girl… at an age when she should be playing outside…
It was only natural that he felt anger toward the nobles who mocked her and spread rumors for amusement.
“…She’s asleep now. That’s good, at least there’s no hole in her stomach…”
“…Professor.”
“Hm? What is it?”
“Why did she suddenly cough up blood? Can someone really bleed just from being startled?”
“You’re not very familiar with Angel Disease, are you?”
“I apologize for my ignorance… to be honest, I have not yet chosen my specialty and have been observing various departments…”
“…So you hadn’t considered pediatrics, and only know the basics of Angel Disease…”
“…I’m sorry.”
Hearing his honest answer, Professor Lark patted Granard on the shoulder and smiled warmly.
“I’m not blaming you.”
“You assisted me properly despite not knowing much about Angel Disease. Your handling of the inspection scope was good, and your judgment in choosing the hemostatic agent was also sound. It shows you’ve studied your fundamentals well.”
“Professor Lark…”
“Then as a special lesson, shall I give you a lecture on Angel Disease?”
“Ah, and you there, maid, please listen as well.”
“Me as well!?”
The maid attending Iris, who had been changing her nightgown, looked surprised.
“You call the physician every time she coughs up blood, don’t you? But in case of emergencies, it would be better if you also knew how to provide first aid.”
“I understand…”
“Alright then, let’s start from the beginning. Angel Disease is an illness of the Mage Organ. You understand that, correct?”
“Yes.”
“The Mage Organ is a special organ within the circulatory system. Though small, it branches out like a sprouting seed, connecting to the blood vessels of all internal organs.
In her case, blood containing a large amount of magical power accumulated in the Mage Organ flows through those vessels into the stomach. Some children have it flow into the intestines, others into the urinary tract. Generally, it flows to areas connected to the outside of the body.
In normal individuals, magical power is at an appropriate level and disperses within the body, so there is no need to expel blood… but that is what makes this disease so difficult.”
“I-I see…”
“In simple terms, it’s like excretion. The body expels what it doesn’t need. But magical power cannot solidify. It is energy contained within the blood.
So the body tries to expel it along with the blood.
However, if blood continues to be lost, the body prioritizes the heart, causing other functions to decline, and excessive magical power acts like a toxin… gradually damaging the digestive system.”
“The magical power… does that?”
“Yes. Medicine can heal the body, but if taken in excess, it becomes poison. Magical power is certainly useful, but when it exceeds what the body can handle… especially for young children, it becomes too much for their fragile bodies.
Children like Iris, whose blood accumulates in the stomach, are particularly troublesome because they are not aware of it.”
“Not aware…?”
“She said it herself, didn’t she? That she hadn’t coughed up blood for three days.”
“Ah… that’s true.”
The maid nodded in understanding.
“So that’s why it happens so suddenly…”
“Iris didn’t cough up blood because she saw you, Granard. It just happened to be the timing for expelling blood when you arrived.
…For now, she’ll have to be on IV drips for a while. Eating may be difficult.”
“No food?”
“No, there’s no hole in her stomach, so she can eat, but her stomach will likely reject it. Even if she eats, she’ll probably vomit. She already has little appetite… it’s quite troublesome.”
Sighing, Professor Lark exhaled deeply, and Granard hesitantly raised his hand.
“Hm? What is it?”
“Can Angel Disease cause holes in the stomach?”
“It can. Vomiting is exhausting and stressful. Sometimes they vomit undigested food, which leads to loss of appetite, and constantly dealing with it puts a heavy mental burden on the patient.
That’s why whenever they cough up blood, we examine the stomach and repair any damage.”
Hearing this, the maid turned pale.
It seemed that no one in this household knew this fact.
Perhaps the physician had refrained from telling the family out of consideration.
It was understandable.
To hear that a child who smiled so brightly was enduring such a harsh battle…
It would be too much to bear.
At that moment, a realization struck Granard like divine inspiration.
‘This is it… this is the path I should take.’
Gazing intently at Iris lying in bed, he turned his eyes back to Professor Lark.
His eyes were filled with determination.
“Professor… I will study Angel Disease. I will join your research team and help patients survive, even if only a little.”
“Do you pity her?”
“That’s part of it… but if there are other children suffering like her… I want to help them. This is the path I will take.”
“…Hmm, it was worth bringing you along. I welcome you.”
And so, he chose the path of a pediatrician.
Naturally, he would never become the school doctor at Breme Academy, and would instead devote his life to researching Angel Disease.