Miss Witch, please don't leave your fragrance everywhere

Chapter 12 Dr. Rothschild

　　Dr. Rothschild hung a "Do Not Disturb" sign on the door and made Angelica a cup of tea. Then he took out a bottle of medicine from the room and placed it on the table in front of Angelica.
　　“Hmm…what is this?”
　　"You are Flora's friend?"

　　"Just barely."
　　"I would like to ask you to bring this bottle of medicine to Flora, but please do not tell her that you got it from me."
　　Dr. Rothschild asked sincerely. Angelica picked up the medicine bottle and glanced at it. In this era, there was no custom of annotating the effects, shelf life, and ingredients on medicine bottles, but Angelica could guess the specific effects.

　　"Is it medicine for treating lung disease?"
　　"That's right... I used to give this medicine to Flora's mother to relieve lung aches. I inferred that Flora might have inherited her family's lung aches, but for some reason, Flora was very hostile to me, and she never agreed to let me examine her."
　　Angelica weighed the medicine bottle in her hand. She really found it interesting. Flora clearly wanted to take Rothschild's life, but he was still concerned about Flora's condition... Or was it that Rothschild couldn't get close to Flora, so he wanted to use someone else to eliminate Flora?

　　"Dr. Rothschild has always lived alone?"
　　"Yes. But I've gotten older lately and started thinking about hiring a servant."
　　"I had heard of Dr. Rothschild's name a long time ago, but I was still surprised to see him in person. I thought a famous doctor like Dr. Rothschild would live in a luxurious house."

　　“I am not that demanding about my living environment.”
　　Dr. Rothschild took a sip of his tea.
　　"I used to follow my teacher who taught me medicine around to see patients, often sleeping on straw mats in the wild. Compared with the days of wandering around, having a stable and comfortable place to live is much better."

　　"Dr. Rothschild, who ✪ Nоvеlіgһt ✪ (Official version) chose to settle in Gera, must like this place very much, right?"
　　"Gera Town needs a doctor. There have never been any disasters here, so it's suitable for growing herbs. If nothing unexpected happens, I hope to spend my old age in Gela Town. Ah, I seem to be too focused on my own affairs. Is Miss Angelica visiting for Flora?"
　　"Well, I don't know if it's convenient to talk about this here. I want to talk to Dr. Rothschild about Flora's mother. As far as I know, she has been visiting Dr. Rothschild for a long time."

　　Dr. Rothschild was somewhat mentally prepared for this. He put down his teacup, and his expression became serious.
　　"As long as it does not affect the patient's privacy, I can answer some of Miss Angelica's questions."
　　"What was the cause of Flora's mother's death? Lung disease can be fatal at any time, but I observed the population density of Gera Town, and the probability of this happening is very low."
　　Angelica had noticed the population density of the town of Gra on the way to the clinic. Although it was difficult to call for help during an asphyxia attack, Angelica still believed that the possibility of death from sudden asphyxia was not high.

　　Dr. Rothschild revealed the truth.
　　"Flora's mother... committed suicide."
　　"suicide?"

　　"Flora's mother not only suffers from asthenia, but I also diagnosed her with depression. Before I came to Gera Town, Flora's father abandoned her and her daughter and ran away to another place. I don't have an interest in gossiping, but the ladies who come to my clinic occasionally talk about this topic, saying that they were seduced by other women and eloped with all the family savings."
　　Fortunately, there were kind-hearted residents of the town of Gera to provide help, and this was information Angelica was familiar with.
　　"I think after Flora's father left without saying goodbye, Flora's mother suffered from depression. She has a kind of boundary that keeps men away from her... including me. If I were not the only doctor in Gera Town, I think she would never say a word to me."

　　"Doctor Rothschild means that Flora is prejudiced against you because of the influence of her mother?"
　　"I can't confirm it, but people with depression are often very unstable. About half a year ago, Flora's mother said she had insomnia and couldn't sleep for a long time, so I prescribed her a sleeping pill, which lasted for a long time. But later, I found out that she lied to me. She didn't have insomnia. On the contrary, she was going to commit suicide with the pills I gave her."
　　Sleeping pills are drugs that can make people fall asleep, but excessive use can lead to death. Flora's mother's depression gradually worsened, and she eventually had thoughts of suicide.

　　Flora's mother prepared for this for a long time. She lied that she had insomnia and cheated on a large number of sleeping pills, without considering how much trouble it would cause Dr. Rothschild.
　　"I tried to persuade Flora's mother to give up, but she had already decided to do so. I... bear a great responsibility for this."
　　"Because you gave her sleeping pills?"

　　"That's a reason, but the more important reason is the price of curing lung atrophy. Miss Angelica doesn't know that lung atrophy is a disease that cannot be completely cured."
　　"I know. I had a friend who died of asphyxia in the past."
　　Angelica shrugged. That was a thing that happened hundreds of years ago. She was not sure whether asthma could be cured in the world before she crossed over. But in the other world, asthma-like lung disease was a terminal illness. It was not fatal if managed properly. However, most civilians did not have the money to hire a private doctor to look after them.

　　"The price of the herbs that relieve lung breath is very expensive. I have to travel a long way to buy them from overseas pharmacists. Considering the economic situation of Flora's family, I have already lowered the price to the lowest. Flora's family can only rely on Flora's mother's income to maintain a basic life. Most of the income is used to pay for medical expenses. These medical expenses may be the straw that breaks the camel's back."
　　Dr. Rothschild was depressed. The environment of Gra Town did not support the cultivation of herbs for treating lung atrophy. In addition, the residents of Gra Town could not always help Flora's family. At this point, Angelica could vaguely infer the ins and outs of the situation. Flora's mother suffered from depression due to divorce and developed a disgust and resistance to men. She did not remarry. The treatment of lung atrophy exacerbated the deterioration of the family environment.
　　As she grew older, her income was no longer as high as before, and she had to sell her furniture to pay for medical expenses. Under the influence of depression, Flora's mother chose to end her life.

　　Dr. Rothschild felt very guilty about this. He likely believed that the cost of treatment had pushed things to a tragic end. He had always been committed to charging modest fees, a principle that left him with little savings, making it impossible for him to cover the full cost of Flora’s mother’s care.
　　"I see. Thank you for your cooperation, Dr. Rothschild. I will bring the doctor's medicine to Flora."