Lifespan, huh...
I put on a serious expression and looked at William IV.
He definitely has more hair than his brother, the Duke of Adolphus, but it's completely white.
His face is deeply wrinkled...
'Born in '65, right?'
Not 1965, but 1765.
How do I know the King's birth year?
I've said it repeatedly, but by now, I'm not just some Asian doctor making a name for himself in London; I've long since become one of London's established figures.
Most of the people I'm close to are either extremely high-ranking, incredibly wealthy, or core members of gangs.
Honestly, in my past life, I never understood why people obsessed over "connections, connections," but after building some myself, I get it.
The very content of the conversations is different, you know?
Anyway, our King is already 67 years old? Or thereabouts...
'That's quite old... and it doesn't seem like he's been particularly careful about his health.'
67 years old.
In the 21st century, 67 is, exaggerating a bit, youth—prime of life.
Especially from my perspective, having spent most of my years in a university hospital, people in their 60s are considered young.
Well-managed individuals in their 60s often have much better stamina than doctors in their 30s and 40s who don't exercise, right?
Of course, if they get sick, age is a real bully in medicine, so they'd deplete much faster...
But in the 19th century, being in your 60s?
First of all, it's rare to see.
Because most have already passed away.
It's a bit better for nobles or royalty...
But even then, surpassing an average of 50 is difficult.
'Well... even if he had managed his health, it'd be problematic.'
Health management itself is inevitably influenced by the era, isn't it?
Even the management done in the 21st century might seem a bit odd in hindsight...
As for 19th-century management, many things are worse than not doing anything at all.
Take wine, for example.
These folks...
Seriously believe wine is good for health.
Even though wine at this time sometimes contains lead for preservation.
Of course, depending on alcohol tolerance, a glass a day might be beneficial...
'But these madmen drink alcohol instead of water.'
The saying "they drink alcohol like water" exists for a reason.
They literally drink it like water.
Among commoners, those who are well-off drink more than 2 liters of beer daily.
Nobles essentially substitute that with stronger wine.
The King?
Especially one who never thought he'd become king—that is, William IV standing before me?
If he throws a party, wine is a given, plus laughing gas, nowadays ether, opium, and even secretly circulated cocaine...
'He could drop dead any moment now.'
I barely held back those words.
Even if it's the truth, saying it would likely get me killed first.
No matter how much I... huh? Even if I sacrificed myself for the British Empire, what good would it do after insulting the King?
"Lifespan isn't something you can know immediately."
"Then what must be done?"
Moreover, I don't need to babble like a fortune teller.
I'm a doctor.
It's the 19th century, so a proper examination might be impossible...
But even so, I now have ways to gather much more information than before.
"First, could you provide a urine sample? Here, a little help, please."
"Yes! Professor."
First, a diabetes test.
In the past, they would have said, "Why are you asking for urine?" or "What is this?"...
I don't know if it's fortunate or not, but at least among London's upper class, the urine tests conducted at our hospital have long been quite famous.
William IV, perhaps aware of this, provided a urine sample without any fuss.
Our skilled staff transferred it into a lead-crystal glass shaped like a wine glass and handed it to our full-time sommelier manager.
Even though I'm much higher in rank and essentially the one who gave the sommelier a second chance at life, since it's work, I had to feel a bit apologetic about assigning extra tasks...
"Well, it's an honor..."
This isn't just urine; it's the King's urine.
Such practices had faded by the 19th century, but until the 18th century, if you had tuberculosis, didn't you?
Britain and France were countries that believed you could be healed by the King's touch.
You might call it uncivilized...
But it's clear that among commoners, royal authority was perceived as something sacred, granted by God.
So, getting into the King's good graces was inevitably beneficial.
'But please don't say it's sweet if it's not.'
'Yes, yes.'
I whispered that to the sommelier manager while thinking that.
If it's judged sweet here, it's a big problem.
Because he wouldn't live long.
No matter how advanced insulin therapy is, how accurate can treatment be without proper blood tests?
Moreover, I'm a surgeon by training, not an endocrinologist.
You might think, "Diabetes? That's trivial! Just lower the blood sugar roughly!"
"It's a basic disease!"... but while patients might think that, a doctor who thinks that needs to study more.
If it were an easy disease, why would so many people in Korea suffer from diabetes?
"Hmm... bitter..."
At that moment, our sommelier finished tasting and spoke.
It's not just talk; his expression is genuinely serious.
"Good."
"A relief. So it's not diabetes?"
I nodded emphatically at His Majesty's words.
Inwardly, I was struggling to swallow the words, "It's not necessarily so."
Actually, detecting sweetness in urine意味着 blood sugar is quite high.
Which also means that even if blood sugar is fairly high, it might not be detectable in urine...
Preemptively administering insulin based on that is too risky.
In fact, since insulin was developed, there have been quite a few cases of attempted or successful insulin assassinations.
I can't stop bad actors from misusing it, but I certainly have no desire to assassinate the King with my own hands.
"Next... please sit here for now."
"Very well."
Next, I measured his blood pressure.
The result was 130 over 80.
It's a bit high, but...
It's acceptable.
If it were really high, there might be something I could try...
'Like diuretics, for instance.'
Not that diuretics exist here.
But I do know of foods with diuretic properties, right?
Coffee.
If I brew it really strong and make him consume a lump of caffeine...
Dehydration might occur, and wouldn't that lower blood pressure? I have that idea.
I might experiment with it later, but trying it on the King would probably be problematic.
"Good."
"Is that so? For a King, isn't it too low?"
"No... no. The saying that higher is better is a myth."
"Is that so? Everyone says something different."
"Your Majesty, I was the one who started formally measuring blood pressure. My words should be the most credible."
"Hmm. Well, alright... anyway, if you say it's good, then it's good."
After the diabetes and hypertension checks, I conducted a few more examinations.
You might think, what else is there to check in the 19th century?...
But assessing intrinsic capacity is entirely possible.
What's intrinsic capacity? It's a fancy term, but it just means checking physical ability.
"Please sit down and stand up repeatedly."
Huff, huff.
That inevitably involves making him exercise.
When would a 19th-century King have done anything resembling exercise?
At most, going hunting, and even that mostly involves riding around on a horse.
Of course, when I tried it, horseback riding wasn't easy either...
But since that also decreases with age, I soon saw the King drenched in sweat.
'Not bad. Well... he must have some innate strength.'
After putting him through it all, he seemed quite healthy for his age, era, and lifestyle.
Honestly, to become King, you probably need the bloodline for it.
If you were constantly falling ill, how could you become King?
This isn't Joseon with its Confucian ideals.
"Not bad at all."
"Is that so? Then how long can I live?"
Once the examination ended, the sweat-drenched King asked again.
How should I answer...
No matter how glib I am, being asked about lifespan by the King makes me hesitate to speak freely.
'Honestly, about 5 years would be safe.'
It's rare to see men past 60, but those past 70 are truly scarce.
Sir Jamie or Sir Damien might be exceptions, but...
It's touch and go now.
Regardless of my wish for them to live longer, their lifespans are like candles in the wind.
"You must have seen her a few times, Princess Victoria."
"Ah, yes."
I fell silent, troubled, so the King spoke up.
It's fortunate this guy has a different temperament than your average king.
Having served in the navy, he's also called the Sailor King, so he's rather hearty, I suppose?
Anyway, I listened attentively to what he said.
"That girl is only 14 years old now..."
"Ah, yes. I'm aware, but..."
"Haha. You, soon to receive a title, are quite ignorant about politics, aren't you?"
"It is an honor beyond my station. I merely make healing people my profession."
"Just as the rumors say. Good. Well, you may speak further."
William IV chuckled heartily at my humility.
I'm glad I trained at a university hospital.
Without realizing it, flattery just flows out, and sometimes it flows so smoothly that I surprise myself.
"If I die before our niece turns 18, the Duchess of Kent, Princess Victoria, and her alleged lover, John Conroy, will serve as regents for six years. The future of the British Empire will be shaken."
"Ah..."
So that's the law.
A regency.
When I think of Queen Victoria, only terms like "Grandmother of Europe" or "Mother of the British Empire" come to mind, so I've never once considered a regency.
No, wait...
Hold on.
'There shouldn't have been a regency.'
I was... an avid reader of "Far Countries, Neighboring Countries," after all.
Plus, I never had a high enough quality of life to cultivate hobbies beyond YouTube.
The moment you aspire to become a professor, that's just how it goes...
A fragment of that accumulated trivial knowledge struck me.
'Queen Victoria's predecessor... that is, this William IV, probably died shortly after Victoria turned 18.'
Yes, I remember!
The first useful historical fact that comes to mind since returning is related to our King!
So, how should I utilize this?
I must do it very well.
And I was confident.
There really must be a reason why I, of all people, was sent back to the 19th century.