“Alright, let’s go with this…!”
I made my decision on what to request from Emeralda. It would be a simple, quick, and non-invasive sampling of her cells—by swabbing the inside of her cheek.
Perfect.
This request wouldn’t be disrespectful, it would take only moments, wouldn’t burden her in any way, and would allow me to know everything about Emeralda.
“Seems you put quite a lot of thought into this, didn’t you?”
Emeralda, still sitting calmly in the patient’s chair, crossed her legs with an elegant motion.
“Well, shall we get to it, Director Alaya? What is it exactly that you’d like me to do?”
“Certainly. Then, if you would…”
I stood up.
“Lady Emeralda, pardon my forwardness, but may I ask you to open your mouth?”
“My…mouth?”
Emeralda’s eyes widened, and she placed a hand on her chin as if in thought.
After a moment, she spoke.
“Director Alaya… when you say ‘mouth,’ you don’t mean…?”
“Hmm? Yes, that’s correct.”
“Well…I thought I had made it clear that I wouldn’t entertain any indecent gestures as a reward…”
“Indecent?”
It seemed that using her mouth was considered improper.
So, apparently, using the mouth was a bold request… how complex.
“Then, could I perhaps try with the nose?”
“Director Alaya, changing the location doesn’t make it better…wait, what did you just say?”
“I wanted to use the mouth, but if that’s not acceptable, then I’d like to use the nose.”
“W-wait, what are you even trying to…?”
I took out a long swab specifically for nasal use.
“No need to worry. I came prepared.”
“A… swab…?”
Emeralda looked blankly at me.
Could it be she’d never encountered a nasal swab before?
“By swabbing the mucous membrane, I could collect some of your cells. I hope it’s not a problem…?”
“Cells… my cells?”
“That’s correct.”
“And what are you planning to do with such a thing…?”
“Well, you see—”
In truth, I’ve been secretly cultivating cells from other demonkind as part of my work. With just cells, I can easily test the effects of Dark Heal.
But that’s not all. By infusing magic into the cells, I can analyze DNA structures, determining which species share similar DNA patterns. This way, I may be able to apply healing techniques to demonkind I’ve never treated before by referring to effective treatments from similar species.
…Though, eventually, laws may come into place for handling such personal biological information. But for now, I’m safe, as there aren’t yet explicit regulations anywhere.
“In short, it’s to advance Dark Heal techniques.”
“I see…”
Emeralda, slightly flushed, let out a small sigh of relief.
“It seems I’ve made an embarrassing misunderstanding. My apologies, Director Alaya.”
“Oh, is that so?”
“If it’s just cells, that’s perfectly fine.”
“Really?!”
“Yes, go ahead. Take as much as you need.”
Emeralda said this with a warm smile, turning her face towards me.
Wonderful.
I gently placed my hand under Emeralda’s chin, tilting her head up.
“Alright, I’m going to begin.”
I positioned the nasal swab.
“Ah, wait, if it’s cells, the mouth would—Guh!?”
As I slid the swab gently into her nasal cavity, Emeralda let out a strained sound.
If you’re not used to it, this can feel a bit uncomfortable.
“Just hold still for a moment.”
“Ugh…ugh…ugh…”
“Just a bit more…a little swirl…”
“Ngh—gag… ugh…”
After thoroughly rubbing the swab against the mucous membrane, I slowly withdrew it.
“Alright.”
Looking at the tip of the swab, glistening faintly, I couldn’t help but clench my fist in triumph.
Success. I got Emeralda’s cells!
＊ ＊ ＊
“Director Alaya, you’re too rough with women…”
With a teary-eyed expression, Emeralda said while blowing her nose.
“I’m sorry. I got a bit carried away in front of new data.”
“Well, I do take some responsibility for saying, ‘Take as much as you want,’ so I’m not angry… but I am a bit tired now…”
Emeralda pressed her head, looking as if she had a headache.
Could it be…?
Did I get too carried away?
“Lady Emeralda, would you like me to examine you?”
“Um… but is that alright? It’s already outside of office hours, isn’t it?”
“It’s no problem. My duty is to attend to those who are unwell.”
“Thank you, then… I’ll rely on you.”
Well, it seems this is also my responsibility.
I gently nodded in acknowledgment and placed my hand on Emeralda’s head, channeling my magic into her.
…This is.
“The level of tension in your body and the dilation of your blood vessels is beyond what I’d consider normal… It’s likely due to a lack of sleep.”
“Ah, it’s been over forty days since I last had a decent sleep.”
A big sigh escaped Emeralda. The aura of a capable secretary she had when she arrived was nowhere to be found. She looked like a completely exhausted working woman.
“Please, lie down for a bit. Since this is the first time I’m treating you, it may take some time, but I’ll use Dark Heal to relieve the tension in your muscles. That should help with your headache and fatigue.”
“Okay… thank you…”
I took Emeralda’s hand and assisted her in moving to the examination bed, helping her lie down on her back.
“Um, Director Alaya… my hand…”
“Please stay as you are.”
One of my hands held Emeralda’s left hand while I continued to channel magic into her, pinpointing the areas of tension in her body. The other hand moved to her head to perform Dark Heal on her blood vessels.
I moved my hand from her forehead to her temples, then over the top of her head and to the back, evenly sending magic as if giving her a massage.
“I feel a bit shy… it’s like being petted on the head…”
“If you don’t like this method, there are others…”
“No, it’s not that I dislike it. It’s just… it makes me feel a bit nostalgic.”
Emeralda turned her gaze to the ceiling, seemingly accepting my examination and Dark Heal. Gradually, as the muscle tension eased, her body relaxed, releasing unnecessary tightness.
“That said, you’re really a unique person, Director Alaya.”
Emeralda murmured softly, tilting her face slightly towards me.
“It’s a strange atmosphere… Are all Dark Healers like this?”
“Don’t you have any acquaintances who are?”
“No… My family has never been involved with such ailments or injuries.”
Interesting, it seems to relate to the constitution of her species. I was very curious about it.
Would it be alright to delve deeper?
But… no, I should prioritize treatment for now, as the director of Alaya General Hospital and a Dark Healer.
“Ahh… I’m starting to feel really comfortable all over…”
“If you’d like, you can sleep like that. I’ll wake you up once the treatment is finished.”
“Hehe… It’s been a long time since I’ve slept in front of a man…”
Emeralda chuckled amusingly.
However, her eyes appeared a bit glazed and sleepy.
“It’s been quite a while since I’ve been treated like a woman…”
“That’s… well, I apologize for that.”
“No, it’s precisely because of that… It’s nice to feel a bit at ease…”
Emeralda’s open eyes began to narrow, gradually closing.
“…It’s been ages since a man touched my head like this…”
“Is that so?”
“…It’s warm…”
“You can sleep if you want.”
“…Mm.”
Her breathing began to slow and deepen, falling into a rhythmic pattern.
Soft snores started to escape her lips.
The hand that wasn’t being held by me moved to her face… and Emeralda began to suck on her thumb.
And then,
“…Daddy…”
“Huh, Daddy?”
“…Mmm… baboo…”
Well… I guess this sort of thing can happen if she’s tired.
I decided to think that way and continued with Dark Heal.
