Several months passed since Anna and Philip's steady exchanged continued. Anna found Philip for teaching whenever she had free time and Philip admired Anna's great passion for learning at such an advanced age.
Once a week, Anna and Philip went to offer their medical services to the poor and needy. Just like always, they set up a simple treatment room in a remote location at the back of an alley and received a flood of patients. It was difficult but as Anna treated patients with all sorts of diverse symptoms, her skills dramatically increased.
"Look here, don't you think the stupid thing is to say you ate mugwort to make medicine?"
The voice of a hot-tempered middle-aged wife rang out loudly. The simple treatment room had two tables set slightly apart and in between them, a thin cloth acted as a wall. So when one raised their voice a little bit, one could be heard from the other side.
On the other side of the wall, Anna payed attention to the audible voice of the patient who came to Philip.
"Did I know and eat it? I only knew it had wild herbs."
"Are your eyes crooked? How does that thing look like herbs!"
"Why did you leave it in the kitchen then!"
Mother and daughter went back and forth, raising their voices to each other as they quarreled.
Mugwort! Anna paused treatment on her side and fixed her gaze on the obscuring wall of cloth. Then she heard Philip's calm voice.
"So what is the matter? Did you perhaps contact an ailment?"
"Aiyo! Doctor! This one ate that thing and her monthly period didn't come. I don't know what to do if this lass cannot perform her duties as a woman so I can't sleep at night."
"Tch, I like it this way." (Daughter speaking)
"You crazy thing, ah! Do you want to be a woman that can't give birth?"
Anna suddenly sprang to her feet. She didn't notice the confused expression of her patient who was being treated. Anna lifted the wall made of cloth and went into the other partition.
Philip glanced at Anna once then spoke to the patient.
"I cannot treat you if you're making so much fuss. Quiet down. How much mugwort did you eat?"
"About as much as a side dish? I mixed it up with vegetable and ate it." (Patient)
Her mother next to her: 'This crazy-! How can you happily eat that foul-tasting thing and call it vegetable? Aiyo, I didn't give birth to a human, I birthed a good-for-nothing. Ai! I can't live in peace.'
She continued to grumble inwardly.
"When did you have your first menstruation?" (Philip)
"I think the year before last?"
"You didn't keep eating the mugwort, did you?"
"No."
"Then, this is just a temporary state, your menses will start again next month. So you don't need to be worried. You too, Mother."
Both mother and daughter were in disbelief so they had to be persuaded and promised several times before they left.
"What's wrong, Anna? Is there a patient with a problem?" (Philip)
"…No. I'll tell you later."
After they finished giving free treatment and the day was darkening into night, the two returned to drink tea at Philip's residence.
"Earlier…I mean the patient who took mugwort. That was my first time seeing a such a symptom but Sir Philip seemed to know all about it. I know mugwort has a hemostatic effect but for that to stop menstruation? How could that be when the blood from menstruation and the blood from wounds are from completely different structures?" (Anna)
"It's rare but occasionally, it occurs in patients. It can happen when the poor hunger and don't distinguish between what they eat. However, there's nothing to worry about. There's nothing wrong with the body, it's just a temporary state." (Philip)
"Then, by any chance, do you know of menstruation stopping entirely after eating mugwort?"
Philip's hand lifting the teacup to his mouth paused for a moment. A mysterious glint flashed through his eyes, disappearing just as fast as it came. His relaxed smile remained unchanged and his voice was very relaxed as he spoke.
"Interesting. Do you have such a patient?"
"Yes, in state of complete amenorrhea (absence of menstrual periods). The herb intake was for quite the long time."
In the meantime, Anna had purchased hundreds of medicinal books in order to find a cure for the Duchess. She scrapped up all the books on the market and not only that, she asked around for the doctors living in Roam (city) and went to them diligently. However, there was not one person who recognized the symptom of menstruation stopping after eating mugwort.
Anna would have rather preferred to experiment the diet on herself but unfortunately, she was already in her menopause and because she didn't know the side effects, she couldn't test it on another person.
So, it was both surprising and frustrating to stumble across that patient today. If she knew beforehand, she would've gone digging through the slums. Anna admired Philip anew.
[How did you obtain such excellent medical skill? You know much of what is in the books and what is not in the books.]
The more she knew, the more amazed she was by Philip's medical knowledge so one day, she asked him directly.
[There are simply a lot of miscellaneous things I picked along the way when I was wandering around.]
Philip spoke modestly but Anna thought of it as his reward for wandering the hinterland to offer his medical services. He was really an excellent doctor.
"Philip, didn't you say you treated a lot of patients while traveling? I feel very embarrassed in comparison. True medicine should be performed with the heart yet my lowly medicine is priced with greed."
"Anna, your medical skill is superb. You are enthusiastic and true to your patient. It is a shame you don't receive proper recognition because you are a woman."
"You speak too highly of me."
Anna smiled and brought the teacup to her mouth. If Anna had seen Philip's eyes then, she would have felt strange. The pupils of his eyes flickered silently, revealing his impatience.
"Who is the patient?" (Philip)
Anna hesitated. Keeping a patient's confidentiality was the duty of a doctor. However, Anna couldn't let go of the only and definite clue that she'd barely managed to fine. The longer she couldn't grasp a clue, the more anxious she felt. No one was urging her but she felt agitated.
'It's okay. He's the Duke's doctor and one with excellent medical skills. He's a true doctor who finds the poor to offer his medical services.'
She didn't know why he was under surveillance, but if he was someone who would harm the Duke, it wouldn't just end with surveillance. She made up her mind. Still, she felt too uncomfortable to readily mention the madam.
"To be honest, I came to find you at first because I wanted some advice on this symptom."
If the Duchess' doctor was seeking advice from another doctor, without one even saying who the patient was, it was obvious. Anna nodded her head to Philip who was quietly looking at her.
"By any chance…was the mugwort taken from the first menstrual period?"(Philip)
"You know!"
Anna yelled out cheerfully.
"Do you know a way to treat it?" (Anna)
"Fortunately, I do." (Philip)
"My goodness!"
The cure she had been looking for all this while had been right next to her. If she had honestly asked for advice from the beginning, she would have gotten it without going through so much trouble.
However, she didn't regret the time spent going through that trouble. Searching for books and digging through them were of great help to her skills.
"How did the patient happen to take mugwort?" (Philip)
"The patient wasn't knowledgeable as a child and did not know of the changes in a woman. Summarily, in the patient's young mind, it was a drug that stopped bleeding so one tried to fix the first menstruation." (Anna)
"How long was this intake?"
"I heard it was taken for about half a year, after which there was no more menstruation. Is it really possible to treat?"
"Listen a little longer. This symptoms require special conditions to be treated. One must not be a virgin and one must not have experienced union with more than one man."
Anna's expression fell. The symptom itself was already strange now even the treatment condition was strange too. Because of Anna's experience treating the Duchess, she knew of the Duchess' purity better than anyone else.
But this matter was privately hidden and concerned the Duchess' reputation. She hesitated for a while but in the end she chose her belief that as doctor, if one was embarrassed about their patient's condition, one would not be able to treat their patient properly.
"That won't be a problem. The patient was married some time ago and the first night was the patient's first union."
Anna stubbornly did not directly mention who the patient was but they were both understanding each other.
"Then, does this mean it can be treated?" (Anna)
Philip lowered his gaze a little and said nothing in reply. Anna waited quietly, not wanting to interfere with his thoughts. But in actuality, Philip was only trying to calm his overwhelmed and turbulent emotions. After some time, he lifted his head with a calm expression.
"It's possible."
"I'll go see Milady immediately. I'm sure she will be much pleased that I have found a cure."
Anna shuffled restlessly in her seat as if she would get up at any moment. She didn't even realize that she had directly said who the patient was. Philip used a hand gesture to tell her to calm down.
"This treatment is one of the visions passed down in our family. The exact method of preparation is in the notebook passed down and I have to check it but I don't have it right now. I put it someplace else. It looks like I'll have to leave for a while."
Anna felt regretful. She was filled with impatience as she didn't want to lose the clue she had finally gotten.
"Will it take long? Is it possible for me to go with you?"
"I apologize but I cannot take you with me. It is a secret location passed down in our family for generations."
"I was too impatient. I'm sorry for making an unreasonable request."
"There's no need to be in a rush. I will definitely give you the treatment. Therefore, in the meantime, don't tell the patient. There's no need to make one wait in vain."
"You're right. When do you expect to be back?"
"At the latest, I will be back in a week."
***
After Anna left, Philip sat on the sofa with his head low and hands clasped tightly together. The lights were off in the sitting room causing it to be dimly lit. In this lighting, the silhouette sitting like a doll in the dreary atmosphere was enough to frighten any who saw it.
"Kuhuhuhu…"
Philip's body began to tremble and he burst out laughing like a madman.
"Kuhahaha!! It's not the end! It's not over yet!"
It was not the usual Philip that kept his emotions in check without losing his calm expression. His eyes were bloodshot and the veins on his forehead bulged. Like an evil spirit, his expression was distorted, full of madness and obsession.
He discovered a possibility for the obsession he'd half-way given up on, so he was overwhelmed with excitement.
After the former Duke met a tragic death and the new Duke succeeded him, Philip was one day kidnapped by a suspicious person. When he woke up after fainting, he found himself locked up in a prison. He was imprisoned for the whole day. And the person that showed up in front of him in the prison was Hugh, the one who had become the Taran Duke.
[Old man. I hear you know the way to make a child? Tell me. I combed through that cursed room but it wasn't there.]
The Hugh Philip saw after he became the Duke had changed. Deep rooted disgust and hatred overflowed in his eyes. Philip came to realize that the cause for this was the room which Hugh referred to as 'that cursed room'. It was the room that contained secrets of the Taran bloodline.
[You entered the secret room.]
[That's right. It was really interesting, you know? The girl that the late Duchess had in her womb was supposed to carry my child in the future. It's truly a shame. My future wife didn't get to see the light of the day and was turned into a lump of flesh to be thrown away in her mother's stomach. If I knew, I would have at least checked her face. I mean, since the Duchess' stomach was practically bulging, there must have been some kind of shape.]
In contrast to his words, the Duke's expression looked nauseous like he couldn't stand the mere thought.
[Indeed a huge secret and according at those scribbled documents, the Duchess must give birth to a son so she could never be an ordinary woman. But this time, was it because my mother died? Then, if one bore a daughter, one would not be able to able raise it publicly and can only hide it away.]
Philip did not give any response or acknowledgement. The late Duchess had indeed planned that as soon as her daughter was born, she would treat it like it were dead and raise it outside.
The Duke continued with his inference of Philip's thoughts.
[And since that girl and I differ greatly in age, I don't believe she would be left alone with me. That old fogey would have probably made me marry a woman that'll give birth to the girl that would be my son's bride in the future. But, if it goes this way, the woman that gives birth to my son, the woman with the oh so precious Taran blood, becomes a mistress. And her son becomes an illegitimate child. There's no way such a flaw would be allowed. So, on a second thought, the wife that gives birth to my daughter will probably end up dead in time. Whether by sickness or by accident. And my step-sister that grew up well outside will come in as my second wife and give birth to my son. What do you think? Did I hit the nail on the head?]
[…]
[But what can one do? Since my step-sister is dead, my son won't be born. Forever.]
Looking at the extremely delighted Duke, Philip did not reveal that the child of the late young master Hugo was conceived and growing up nicely. If the Duke knew now, he would kill both mother and son immediately.
[But a daughter can still be born as usual. You disgusting bastards will do anything to make me have a daughter without hesitation. Now tell me, Old man. How this monstrous family came to retain such a tenacious bloodline. I don't plan on leaving anything carrying my filthy blood behind on this land.]
Philip could predict what the Duke would do if he told him the truth about the mugwort. Even if it sounded impossible, he would try to root out all the mugwort that existed in the world, and if he really needed a woman, to avoid future troubles, he would either embrace a prostitute once then get rid of her, or avoid embracing the same woman more than once. In this way, the possibility of the Taran bloodline continuing would disappear.
[If you want stay locked up and never see the sun again, keep your mouth shut.]
Philip would never divulge his family's secrets and using the pretext that he couldn't resist under the Duke's threat, he spun a tale.
[The Taran male that will become the father of the child has to steadily administer his blood to the woman for over a year, then take her virginity.]
And the Duke believed those nonsensical words. From this, one could guess how much the Duke thought of the Taran blood as a sickening monster.
Since the Duke thought that pregnancy was impossible without himself voluntarily acting on it, he treated Philip like a completely non-existent person afterwards. Making the most of this indifferent approach, Philip did not stop trying to progress to his goal.
Those of Taran blood inherited madness in their blood from generation to generation. It caused one to urge for slaughter or increased one's sex drive. In the Duke, the extent was severe and it got even worse after his brother's death. By the second half of his late teens, it was to the extent that the Duke couldn't sleep without slaughter or sleeping with a woman.
Philip bought a young orphan beggar and prepared her body by feeding her mugwort. He taught her sexual practices to match the Duke's tastes and knowing that the Duke did not like virgins, he took measures using his family's secret manual to prevent virgin blood from flowing out.
Just in time, war broke out, becoming an opportunity and Philip's access to the Duke became much easier. He fed the prepared woman pain-killing drugs so she wouldn't feel the pain of her hymen breaking and sent her into the Duke's quarters. The Duke, excited from the madness of slaughter, did not care who the woman let into his quarters was and united with her.
But Philip's attempts always ended in failure. For pregnancy to happen, the Duke had to have a steady relationship with a woman but the Duke was quick to lose interest. The amount of unsuccessful women Philip had killed to silence, numbered more than a dozen.
As the war came to a lull, the Duke began to gradually temper his recklessness and lack of self-restraint. It could be that by seeing his fill of blood through the war, his thirst was somewhat relieved or it could be due to the Duke entering his mid-twenties. His preference also changed to luxurious noble women so he only took women like those to bed.
No matter how resourceful Philip was, he couldn't obtain aristocrats like he obtained orphans. If there was a daughter left behind by the late Duke, he would have looked after her to make sure she bore an offspring for young master Damian in the future but unfortunately, all females of the Taran blood were dead.
The discarded daughter who lived without Philip and the late Duke knowing, gave birth to Damian and died, the girl being raised to be the future Duchess fell off her horse in an accident and died, the girl in the womb of the newly taken Duchess was killed alongside her mother by young master Hugo.
The birth of young master Damian was the help of the heaven. However, if young master Damian did not have a bride, the Taran bloodline would end. Without the Duke's cooperation, the path to securing a bride was far-off.
However. Without Philip putting any effort, a person that met all the conditions became the Duchess. To confirm this, he had lied to Anna that it needed special conditions.
It was perfect. It was definitely a miracle. The heavens were still watching over the the Taran bloodline.
'A beautiful bride will be born for you soon, Young Master Damian.'
In the darkness, a dark smile spread across his lips. Philip was already considering several variables, and various plans were being made in his head.
The long-cherished wish of his family passed down for generations. The persistent obsession that was asleep in his blood for a while was ignited once more.