Chapter 29: Chapter 29: Instant Fangirl (Seeking Investment)
Joseph looked at the pitiful girl in front of him, shook his head slightly, and felt greatly moved.
He had read in Maum’s books the words of Monk Lewis from this era—”I detest, pity, and despise all female litterateurs. They should have a needle in their hand, not a pen. It is only the needle with which they can work freely.” (Note 1)
Up until the 18th century, the status of women remained very low. Even in France, the birthplace of the Enlightenment movement, women were not allowed to engage in writing, medicine, law, or even to have bank accounts; society firmly bound them within the family.
As a person from the 21st century, Joseph naturally disagreed with such notions, but the dozen or so people beside him all looked at Perna with strange expressions, seemingly thinking that it was extremely inappropriate for a woman to speak of learning surgery.
Even Kesode showed the kind of helpless smile one has upon seeing a naughty child creating trouble, because Perna reminded him of his own rebellious sister who insisted on studying law.
Yet his smile only made Perna feel even more upset.
She was fed up with the mocking and playful smiles of the men!
Just a moment ago, she had fantasized that the Crown Prince in front of her, praised by Professor Lagrange and with extensive knowledge of medicine, might hold enlightened views. But the attitude shown by his captain of the guard easily shattered her fragile hope.
The Crown Prince probably had the same thoughts as them, Perna thought, looking up, trying hard to keep her tears from falling, but then she saw the Crown Prince walking towards her, his voice full of encouragement:
“Dissection is the foundation of medicine. I am very supportive of your pursuing this practice. Keep it up!”
Perna froze, her clear green eyes filled with disbelief: “Your Highness?”
Joseph picked up the dissection knife from the ground and said with a hearty laugh:
“Someone like you, who is full of ideals and brave in practice, will surely become a great doctor in the future.”
“But I…” Perna hadn’t expected the Crown Prince to actually support her, and she became tongue-tied, “I am a woman. Your Highness, do you think women can become doctors too?”
“Of course,” Joseph said, handing the scalpel back to her, nodding, “Being a doctor is just a profession, and women are fully capable of it. If one day I were seriously ill, oh, I mean in case, the one saving my life could very well be Doctor Perna.
“If I have the opportunity, I would even push for legislation to allow women to engage in medical work.”
“Oh, Your Highness! For the love of God, please tell me, do you really think this way? Are you not mocking me?”
“Of course,” Joseph nodded sincerely.
Perna’s heart suddenly began to beat violently. The Crown Prince himself supported her ideals—what else did she have to worry about? Could her dream actually come true?
“I’ve never heard anyone speak like this before.”
She gazed at the Crown Prince in a daze, feeling as if she were in a dream. Everything around her lost its color, only the Crown Prince shone brightly, like the angels in Raphael’s paintings, so beautiful and pure.
Suddenly, she covered her face and began to sob softly, expressing through her tears the grievances of the past and her joy at this moment.
“Sob… Thank you, Your Highness.”
“Look at you, why have you started crying all of a sudden?” Joseph patted the girl’s shoulder, about to console her with a few more words when his stomach inappropriately rumbled.
Perna paused, and then a chuckle escaped her lips, she asked softly:
“Your Highness, did you come to the kitchen to have a late-night snack?”
Joseph looked around somewhat embarrassedly and said:
“I am a bit hungry, but the cooks have all disappeared; it seems I came here for nothing.”
“The cooks… may have gone to move the vegetables needed for tomorrow, I guess.”
Joseph knew that the cooks were most likely slacking off and sleeping, but he didn’t expose her, as he too had snuck in some sleep when working late shifts in the past.
“Your Highness, if you don’t want to wait…” Perna seemed to muster a great deal of courage, her face flushed as she spoke softly, “perhaps I could make something for you to eat?”
She looked at the Crown Prince nervously, afraid that he would laugh at her.
“Sure,” Joseph nodded cheerfully, “then I’ll thank you for it.”
Fortunately, the fires in the royal kitchen never went out, and the ingredients were already prepared. Perna took off the apron she wore for dissection practice, thoroughly washed her hands, and then started bustling around the stove.
In less than 20 minutes, a dish of richly aromatic red wine-baked goose liver was placed on the small table used by the chefs for tea breaks, accompanied by a plate of beetroot tomato soup.
Kesode tasted a bit of each dish very conscientiously, and only after confirming there were no issues did he step back to the side.
Joseph had been starving for a while, and, smelling the fragrant aroma, his appetite suddenly surged.
He picked up the cutlery, ready to start eating, when he saw Perna standing awkwardly to one side. He hurriedly waved her over,
“Come and eat with me.”
The girl waved her hands repeatedly, “Thank you, Your Highness, but I’ll pass. Please go ahead and taste it, does it suit your palate?”
Joseph looked at the goose liver on the plate, which was enough for three people, and without further ado pulled her to sit down. He fetched another plate, divided the dish evenly, and said with a smile,
“It makes no sense for you to work hard all morning and then just watch me eat. Besides, I can’t let France’s first female doctor starve, can I?”
Perna’s face turned instantly red, and she lowered her head, quietly picking up the knife and fork.
Joseph put a piece of golden-browned goose liver and a slice of black truffle into his mouth. The unique rich, oily taste filled his mouth, but with the truffle’s modulation, it wasn’t at all greasy.
His teeth broke through the crispy skin, and the tender meat of the goose liver almost melted into his mouth without resistance, making Joseph squint with enjoyment.
After swallowing a large piece of goose liver, he pointed out with praise,
“This is simply fantastic. If you weren’t a doctor, you would definitely make a great chef!”
“Really?” Perna’s eyes filled with joy, “I learned it in my spare time from Mr. Valister.”
Joseph cut another piece of goose liver, lifted it, and gestured,
“To thank you for the meal, I’ve decided to give you a gift.”
“No, no, I’m already very happy that you like it. How could I accept something more from you?”
Joseph laughed and said, “Don’t be shy; the attire you wore while practicing dissection earlier was long and cumbersome. I’ll have a tailor make a special medical uniform for you. Oh, and in the future it might be introduced nationwide; consider it a trial run on my behalf.”
Perna’s face blushed to the tips of her ears. She looked down and said softly, “Thank you, Your Highness.”
…
The next morning, as usual, Perna attended to the Crown Prince after he got up and carried her medical box to perform a routine check-up for him.
But what was different from before was that today, she didn’t apply the dark powder on her face, her lips kept their natural color, and her complexion appeared refined and smooth, radiating a healthy and exquisite beauty.
When she came before Joseph, she set down her medical box, curtsied, and took out the medical records, asking,
“Your Highness, does your throat still hurt?”
“Much better, just a little.”
“Are you coughing?”
“Occasionally, but it’s quite rare now.”
“Do you have any phlegm?”
“A little.”
The girl carefully noted down each answer and suddenly, when she raised her eyes, she caught a glimpse of the handsome lines of Joseph’s face. Her heart skipped a beat, and the thought crossed her mind: The Crown Prince is so handsome, how did I not notice before…
Her face turned crimson in an instant.