"Alright, everyone, please quiet down."
Sir Jamie had arrived.
Uncharacteristically, he wore an extremely tense expression. It certainly wasn't because he was here as a patient and was nervous. Sure, he'd done plenty of strange things and developed diabetes… and while he had aged significantly since I first met him, at least he still had a full head of hair.
And… well, he was a man who had castrated himself; why would he be nervous about something as trivial as a hair transplant? He was just standing there normally.
"Yes."
"Sigh…"
Not only him, but Director George was also sighing heavily. Despite being a descendant of the Huguenots, known for their toughness after being expelled from France, and a man with such great courage that even Liston frequently teased him about it, today seemed to be an exception. He sighed so deeply and so often that I worried he might hyperventilate.
"Hmm…"
Uncle Patrick, that is, Alfred's senior's father, was also holding his ground. The chemist uncle had come too, but after declaring he couldn't handle the situation and demanding cocaine or something, he was tied up with his limbs bound in the inner room.
Besides them, myself, Liston, Colin, Alfred, Joseph, and Blundell were also present.
We weren't waiting for the Duke of Adolphus. Although his lodging was Sir Damian's house, he came every day to check on the progress of his hair loss treatment, so his high status didn't make us nervous anymore. No, in fact, he was right in front of us now—with a face even more tense than ours, though surely for different reasons.
Thump, thump.
While lost in these thoughts, I began to hear heavy, booming sounds from outside. Military boots… just the sound of them is enough to feel intimidating, I thought. They really are advantageous footwear for imposing fear.
Creak.
Even with three of his Grace's here, the other party pushed the door open without seeking permission. The old guards of the British Empire usually wouldn't let this slide. They'd say, "Release the guard dogs." But today was different…
"Hmm! Are they coming?"
"Yes, everyone, please rise… Ah, Your Grace, you may remain seated."
Sir Jamie Bell was the first to stand up abruptly. No, actually, everyone except His Grace the Duke of Adolphus was already standing.
An officer in full dress uniform, not combat gear, formally scanned the room with several soldiers and then nodded toward the outside. They took their positions inside with precise posture.
Thud, thud, thud, thud, thud.
Then, the sound of multiple people walking could be heard.
'Wow… I'm really trembling.'
The 19th century. I vaguely knew it as an era of industrialization and the dawn of modernization, but it's also a time that taught me many bitter lessons. Among them, the experiences I've had since coming to London… many were so bizarre that even if they were conveyed through video, people would say, "Eh, must be edited."
Just the fights between London gangsters were absurd, and I even participated in the Opium War. Of course, it's not like I personally fired a gun or anything…
'I thought by now there'd be nothing left to make me nervous…'
After experiencing all sorts of battles—land, sea, and air—logically, shouldn't there be nothing left to make me tremble?
"All hail His Majesty the King!"
Damn, but the King is coming. And not just any king—the King of the British Empire.
'Why didn't I think of this?'
Wouldn't the King come for his own brother's surgery? Even if he were just a titled noble, every move would be political, so… huh? If he became King and didn't attend his brother's surgery, imagine the gossip. People would say, "The House of Hanover is being overthrown" or something.
Ah, it wasn't leaked from us that His Grace was undergoing surgery. When we mentioned that recovery and progress might take a while, His Grace himself spread the rumor that he broke his arm while hunting and needed surgery and recuperation.
"Your Grace."
"Seeing it like this is something new."
Of course, the King knew the real name of the surgery. I heard he was upset, asking what kind of duke undergoes such a surgery… But looking at him, it was understandable.
This man is… lush. How could one person be so lush while another, from the same parents, be like this?
"So… the surgery isn't dangerous, is it?"
Really…
Was there something wrong with his behavior? Actually, being the King of the British Empire, he must have had many headaches from various issues, right? I even heard about the King's personal affairs—things I wouldn't have needed to know before and probably wouldn't have been told—according to which, he had five children but lost them all. No matter how little one cares about royal duties, if your children are like this…
"Ping! Ping!"
"Yes?"
"Isn't the King asking you a question!"
"Ah."
"S-sorry!"
"It's alright. I've heard about my physician. A bit peculiar, they say."
Damn. I was lost in thought and missed the King's question. Now they'll probably call me "Kim Tae-pyeong, the guy who ignored the King" or something.
The fortunate thing is, the more rumors like this pile up, the more people think it's okay if I do something a bit strange. I didn't expect the King to be like that too, but anyway.
'When I didn't know better, I naturally assumed he didn't get along with Victoria, the Queen…'
I don't know if it's a tendency of the British royal family or what… Princess Charlotte, daughter of the late George IV who passed away three years ago, was originally set to ascend to the throne… but sadly, she died during childbirth. If I had been there then, I might have saved her, but anyway, she passed without leaving any children. Since it's the same for him, Victoria is already first in the line of succession.
And I've heard that our King William IV is very fond of that Queen Victoria. So, what should I do?
'What should I do? What else? Perform the surgery well and keep him pleased.'
If I make a good impression from here and it carries over to Queen Victoria… Actually, since he's already an anatomy show maniac, I doubt he'd dismiss me easily anyway. But anyway, Queen Victoria will live until the 20th century, so if that happens, the rest of my life will be on solid ground.
"Yes, Your Majesty. The surgery is safe. How much hair will grow afterward is in God's hands, but I will do my utmost not to waste a single strand."
With that sentiment, I addressed His Majesty. My desire to make a good impression was sincere, and William IV looked satisfied, chuckling heartily. Perhaps because he thought he'd never become king due to his older brother and spent his life just having fun, he seemed to have a better personality than the average king. Of course, I've never met another king… But absolute monarchs tend to be a certain way, don't they?
"Good, I'll trust and leave it to you. I ask for your prayers."
He chuckled and stepped aside for a moment. Then, a minister came forward, placed his hands on our Duke's head, and began to pray.
"Lord, please help a new sprout grow in this desolate land…"
Educated people tend to be long-winded, don't they? Surprisingly, prayers are the same. Especially when there are as many spectators as now, it's inevitable. And they aren't just ordinary people—dukes, kings… The prayer was incredibly long, but in summary, it was just that.
"Amen."
"Amen."
Perhaps because he held on for nearly 20 minutes… a red handprint was left on the Duke's crown.
'No… hold it in…'
I almost laughed. If I laughed here… No matter how famous I am as an eccentric, it'd be hard to keep my life. They probably wouldn't execute me for laughing at a bald head, but later, they'd surely find some other charge to kill me. The country of Britain is so old that it has many absurd laws, and if they nitpick every detail, there's no way out.
"Now, then. Shall we begin? Joseph."
"Yes, Professor."
As always, I wanted to tell everyone to leave today. No, today especially, I wanted to insist fiercely. But I couldn't. Telling the King to get out? Does that make sense? Moreover, since the patient is also a distinguished guest, they needed to see what was happening.
So, we began the surgery in an operating room that was already crowded with just the medical staff, now with numerous spectators.
"This may hurt a bit."
In such an atmosphere, how many people could actually move as they normally would? Fortunately, our Joseph is a madman for disinfection, so he was able to do it.
"Ugh…"
And His Grace the Duke had already undergone this disinfection several times. He still seemed to wonder why it was necessary to this extent… but nevertheless, he decided to stick to the original procedure, worried that if he did differently and got an infection, it'd be trouble.
Scrub, scrub.
I thought he'd do it gently, but… Joseph was scrubbing harshly, completely betraying his subtle trust.
"Ughhh."
At the near-scream-like groan, some soldiers and Sir Damian flinched, but since William IV remained still, no one said anything. No, the King didn't just stay still—he actually said something.
"Keep quiet. Isn't he a physician?"
Something… it sounded meaningful. What exactly has he heard about me? I should ask later.
"Now… Alfred?"
"Yes, Professor."
Meanwhile, Joseph stepped back with a satisfied expression. If it were anyone else, I'd have to check if they did it properly, but with Joseph, I could trust him. So, I told him to open the gas tank, and since this was routine for everyone, Alfred didn't hesitate and opened it with a creak.
Swoosh.
Then, the Duke's eyes began to close slowly. Having learned from experience not to immediately use the knife in such cases, I first pressed His Grace's forehead firmly with forceps. Only after confirming he remained still did I pick up the knife.
"Beginning extraction. Professor Liston."
"Yeah, I'll start too."
Liston was with me. Since his hands are so good, after doing the extraction a few times, he seemed better at it than me. As for implantation, since there are aesthetic factors involved and due to Liston's strong request, I've been doing it.
- "You need to keep practicing and improve your skills so I can feel safe receiving it, right?"
It was a plausible request, so it seems I'll be in charge for a while longer.
Pluck.
Pluck.
If it were someone else, we could have used hair from the back of the head… but our Duke's head was almost a wasteland, making that difficult. Of course, we'd use some, but the main source of hair is from the groin.
It might seem like a万能 solution, but after doing it, I understood why it never became mainstream. It requires an overwhelming amount of hair, and groin hair is thick so it looks plentiful, but it's actually not that abundant. Even if it leaves some shape now, it'd be better, but considering it will gradually thin like head hair… I had to design it really well when implanting.
"Phew…"
Due to various factors, I poured even more effort into this than into heart surgery.