Chapter 43

43. Grad Student Diary (3)

…

* * *

I thought Mint coming to my lab was a special event, but apparently the princess considers it part of her daily routine. She was here again today.

“Princess, there are times I don’t come to the lab. What do you do then?”

“I wait. Or study.”

“Ah…”

That made me feel a little sorry for her.

Still, she’d never asked me for my schedule or complained about my tardiness. Was she scared of bothering me? Or did she genuinely need somewhere to be alone? Either way…

“I’ll put up a schedule for you.”

“Really? Thank you!”

The princess’s gaze wandered around the lab before landing on the travel bag in the corner.

“Where are you going?”

“Tomorrow morning. I have a lecture at the palace.”

“Eh, really?”

I nodded.

The princess looked puzzled, like she had something on her mind.

“Would you like to come too?”

“Yeah!”

I wondered if Mint had any academic commitments, but who would stop the princess from visiting the palace?

“What’s the lecture about?”

“Public health. We’ll also discuss the recent epidemic control measures.”

“Isn’t that what you were talking about on the way here?”

“It might’ve been.”

The princess fiddled with her necktie.

…

Carriage ride to the palace.

Last time, Mint and I shared a carriage from the palace to the academy. Today, we’re heading from the academy to the palace together.

“Hmm…”

The princess was gazing out the window.

“Did you take motion sickness medicine?”

“Mhm.”

“The weather is nice today.”

“It’s loud in here. My head hurts.”

I fell silent. The princess continued staring outside.

She seemed excited when she suggested coming, but now she’s prickly again.

“There’s a garden at the palace.”

“Yes.”

“Let’s have a picnic after the lecture ends. When does it finish?”

“Probably in the afternoon. We could ask some loafers…the palace healers.”

“Who’re the loafers?”

“My colleagues. The palace healers.”

“Let’s just go by ourselves.”

“As you wish.”

Mint stayed quiet for a while.

The carriage bumped along. Thankfully, the palace isn’t too far away.

“Aren’t you in exam period?”

“You’re unusually chatty today.”

“No, you’re the one who invited Ms. Istina to follow us in another carriage.”

“I don’t remember that.”

Typical deflection.

I sighed softly.

“Understood. I’ll be quiet.”

“Hey, teacher. Did I ace the general anatomy midterm? I was the only one in that class.”

“You must’ve worked hard.”

“Mhm.”

Mint stopped looking out the window and turned to me with a proud expression, clearly seeking praise. How should I respond?

“Princess, you’re so smart. If you keep working hard, you’ll get great results.”

It’s rare to see Mint smile so brightly.

…

Arrival at the palace.

I exited the carriage first and offered my hand to the princess as etiquette dictates. Mint took my hand and carefully stepped down.

“See you later, teacher.”

“Yes.”

Mint disappeared into the palace with her hands in her pockets. I watched her go for a moment before turning around.

Where did Istina go?

15 minutes at the palace steps…

Finally, Istina arrived, walking briskly with her cane. Her clothes were dusty.

Here, take this handkerchief.

“Ugh, thanks.”

Istina didn’t look well. She usually looks rough, but this time she looked like she’d been through a fight.

“What happened?”

“The carriage wheel broke.”

“Ouch. Are you okay?”

“I rolled once, but I’m fine.”

Right…she doesn’t look fine at all. Istina wiped the sweat and dirt from her face with the handkerchief. I waited.

“Can you give the presentation?”

“Yes!”

Honestly, wasn’t it lucky Istina was on that carriage instead of the princess? If the princess’s carriage had broken down…

“Are you bleeding anywhere?”

“No.”

Istina limped over to me. Should I help support her?

No, she seems to be managing fine on her own.

…

The presentation room was smaller than expected. I thought it would be an auditorium, but it’s more like a conference room with a blackboard.

Istina stood at the podium while I sat quietly behind her, ready to handle questions if needed.

Istina seemed to still be favoring the leg she injured earlier, leaning on the podium with one hand.

She cleared her throat.

“Good day. I am researcher Istina, presenting on the topic of epidemic cholera. Thank you for giving me this opportunity.”

Polite applause.

I scanned the audience.

The prince who organized the event, a couple of palace healers, suited bureaucrats, and a few nobles who probably have nothing better to do.

Healer Hedwig from Lapis territory was sitting in the corner, trying not to fall asleep.

Lord Lapis waved at me from the side of the room. I gave a slight nod, and noticed Prince #1 give a subtle acknowledgment too.

Anyway…

“Cutting to the chase…”

Istina’s nervous rustling and voice carried across the room. Though trembling slightly, her tone remained steady.

“Some diseases spread through pathogenic particles, and today’s conclusion is that we need to consider ways to control them.”

“Our first case study: Recently, we responded to reports of an epidemic outbreak in Lapis territory.”

“Following Professor’s advice, we traced the water sources and confirmed that patients were clustering around certain wells.”

“Here’s the map we created. You can see how the patient distribution forms concentric circles around specific wells.”

Istina passed the map around the room. About ten people examined it before it reached the prince.

“So, the lesson here is this: Cholera spreads through contaminated water. In this case, sealing or disinfecting the problematic wells quickly reduced the epidemic.”

“How long did it take?”

Istina flinched at the prince’s question, checked her notes, and cleared her throat.

“The incubation period for epidemic cholera is approximately one day. It took about a day for the quarantine measures to show effect.”

“What’s an incubation period?”

“Oh. The time between initial infection and symptom onset is called the incubation period – a term defined in our paper.”

“How will anyone understand your made-up words?”

“I apologize.”

“Keep going.”

Istina nodded.

“Yes. While this cholera case had a relatively simple solution, the key takeaway is this: Most diseases spread through particles, and with the right methods, effective prevention and control are possible.”

The presentation continued for quite some time.

…

Relief shift. Good job, Istina.

After finishing, Istina collapsed into the chair I’d been sitting in while I took the podium.

As soon as I stood up, the audience’s attitude shifted. They seem to think I might be more formidable than injured Istina. Fair enough.

“Isn’t there some new device called a microscope that can observe bacteria? Did you manage to observe the particles causing epidemic cholera?”

“We did observe them. They’re rod-shaped particles 200 times thinner than a human hair. Observing objects that small isn’t easy though.”

“You answer this one. What can be done to help people? What policies should be implemented?”

“With all due respect-”

“Wow, I didn’t expect to hear ‘with all due respect’ from Teacher Asterix. What scandalous words will follow?”

That’s a jab at Senior Piro who got exiled.

“Disease doesn’t come from bad air or smells. It occurs when susceptible individuals are exposed to pathogens.”

“So that’s your theory?”

“Susceptibility can be reduced through environmental and nutritional improvements. Pathogen exposure can be minimized through better sewage and water infrastructure.”

“I see.”

“Most importantly, understanding the causes of epidemics and identifying transmission routes allows us to develop targeted countermeasures.”

“Like waging war against disease?”

“Exactly.”

“That makes sense.”

I looked around the room. Some people are sleeping, others seem uninterested.

Still, maybe some seeds of thought were planted today. Just being invited here is progress.

…

“When’s the lecture ending?”

Meanwhile, Mint lay in her room. It had been awhile since she’d been back here. The floor was dusty, but otherwise it was just as she remembered.

---