Rehabilitation Therapist for the Broken Warrior

In the end, Sion’s recovery took three days.

For those three days, I had to attend to Sion, who couldn’t use her hands or feet.

Well, it wasn’t such a bad time, actually.

Anyway, even after the pain had completely subsided, we took a day to monitor Sion’s progress and allowed her to rest sufficiently.

It wasn’t until the fourth day that we could come out to the Center together.

“It feels good to be back at the Center after so long. Doesn’t it, Director Hope?”

“Not really.”

“Oh my, why not?”

“I don’t know. I’ve never thought about not wanting to come to work before.”

Was it the aftereffect of suddenly taking a vacation I hadn’t used in three years?

For some reason, the thought of returning to work made my body and mind feel heavy.

“I suppose that’s my fault too.”

“Is that so?”

“Because I overexerted myself, you had to take a vacation.”

It’s true that I took a vacation because of Sion, but I don’t think it has anything to do with me not wanting to come to work.

“So you’re feeling sorry again, aren’t you?”

I turned around, wondering if she was making that apologetic expression again, but Sion’s expression was simply a gentle smile, with no hint of remorse.

“But what can I do? Oh, Sion Lorel! This sinful woman! I’ve troubled Director Hope again!”

Instead, Sion tapped her forehead with a confident expression and shook her head as if troubled.

Isn’t she being a little ‘too’ unapologetic?

“Your character’s changed a bit, hasn’t it?”

“What do you think? Do you like it?”

If she asks me like that, of course…

“As long as Sion is happy, that’s all that matters. What’s important is Sion.”

It was better than Sion being downcast due to unnecessary worries.

“I’m glad you like it, Director Hope. Doing what you want is my specialty!”

“Huh? What did you just…”

“It’s nothing.”

Sion laughed brightly, brushing it off.

It wasn’t that I didn’t hear her and asked again.

If I’m feeling what I think I’m feeling, Hero Sion’s personality far surpasses the simple categories of good or kind.

She does things because ‘I’ want them.

Can she not even do things for herself unless it’s for someone else?

I’m starting to feel like her pursuit of good and her concern for others is bordering on obsession or madness.

Anyway, now that I had returned with Sion and completed her checkup, it was time to move on to the main schedule.

“Mirei, get Sion changed and bring her to the rehabilitation room.”

“Understood. But, um… Director?”

“What is it?”

Head Nurse Mirei, who acts almost as my secretary within the Center.

Aside from Sion, she’s probably the closest person to me, but she rarely speaks to me personally, so there must be something unusual work-related going on.

“There’s a bad rumor going around the Center… Are you aware of it?”

“Ah, I’ve heard about that. Is it about…”

It seemed she was referring to the rumor I had heard earlier.

I know what the rumor is, but do I have to say it myself?

“….”

“….”

A brief silence passed.

It seemed difficult for Mirei to speak as well…

I should express my gratitude to Mrs. Baker, who told me about the rumor and revealed the truth to me.

“There’s a young, pretty patient I’ve been seeing frequently lately, and the rumor is that I’ve brought her home… Is that right?”

In the end, it was none other than myself who made the decision and spoke.

“Yes, that’s right.”

“What…did you say?”

And upon hearing this, Sion’s expression was painted with shock.

“Does that mean…that people think Director Hope and I are… ‘that’ kind of relationship?”

“….”

“….”

It’s hard to deny it.

“So, Mirei, is that what you wanted to ask me?”

“No, that’s not it…”

Is there something new? It couldn’t be that the rumor has grown and created new misunderstandings, could it?

“While you were on vacation, with you shut up at home, the rumor spread uncontrollably…”

Ah… So that’s what happened. I felt a throbbing headache coming on.

I had no idea Sion and I appeared that way to others.

Certainly, after Sion entered the Center, I continued to perform checkups and other duties as usual, but in Sion’s case, rehabilitation was impossible without me, so I personally supervised all her training.

Besides, it was obvious to anyone that I was focusing my care on Sion.

“While you were away, so many people asked the staff about it that they were put in a difficult position.”

If that happened, they should have come to ask me.

My house isn’t far, why didn’t they think to come and see me…

“Sigh, to think that a mere doctor like me has to worry about scandals. How am I supposed to handle this…”

“So I had no choice but to tell everyone that Sion is the Hero.”

‘Huh?’

My eyes shot open.

“Mirei.”

“Yes.”

“Is that what you were trying to tell me?”

“Yes. Is there something wrong?”

Wait a minute, now that I think about it…

“Besides Mirei, who else knew that Sion was the Hero?”

“No one. That’s why this whole mess happened.”

“Ah…”

My head, which had been throbbing just a moment ago, suddenly felt clear, and all the strength drained from my body.

“Now that I think about it, it’s not like we were deliberately hiding it, but we didn’t exactly tell anyone either.”

When I first met Sion, no one recognized her as Hero Sion Lorel.

Even when Nao introduced her as Sion, I couldn’t believe it.

“That’s right, Director! You should have at least told the staff. The rumor spread among the staff as well, and I had a really hard time dealing with it all by myself!”

“I understand, Mirei. I’ll give you a bonus.”

“Oh, I wasn’t expecting anything like that.”

“Don’t be modest, just take it. We have plenty of budget. It was a good decision.”

“Then I’ll gratefully accept it.”

I think that just revealing Sion’s identity as the Hero will dispel most of the rampant rumors and misunderstandings.

If it’s Hero Sion Lorel, no one would find it suspicious that I’m focusing my care on her, and even if it’s known that I took her home, they wouldn’t dare think I did it for ‘that’ kind of reason.

Come to think of it, when I first brought Sion in, I thought about using the fact that she was here in the treatment of other patients, but I completely forgot about it.

“More importantly, what do people think of me to start such a rumor? They’re all treating me like some kind of pervert…”

“Oh, wasn’t it true?”

“Sion! How can you say that?”

“If people knew what I’ve been through, they’d all think they were right.”

“Sion!”

Don’t say such unnecessary things! If you talk like that now, it won’t be just a joke between us!

Panicked, I quickly looked back at Mirei, but her expression was already…

“…Director?”

“Ahh, no!! Sion! Quickly say it’s not true!”

“I’ve never told a lie in my life. How could I lie as the Hero?”

“Sion!!”

As if trying to shake off her past grievances, Sion put a hand on her chest, closed her eyes with a sorrowful expression, and put on a convincing performance.

Mirei gently approached Sion and warmly embraced her.

“You must have suffered a lot, Hero.”

“Sob… Mirei… Actually, during the four-day vacation, all sorts of things happened… I couldn’t tell anyone…”

“I know how you feel… Don’t worry anymore. I’ll protect you, Hero.”

Look at those two, putting on a show.

What did she suffer, and what does she know?

“Protect? From what?”

“From the Director, of course!”

“Sigh, honestly. Unfortunately, that’s going to be impossible, Mirei.”

“Why?”

“Because you’re fired.”

“Huh?”

Mirei’s face was devoid of all expression after hearing the news of her dismissal.

“Director… You’re joking, right?”

“I don’t need a Nurse Maid who protects patients from the doctor.”

“…”

Mirei was so shocked she was speechless, so it was Sion’s turn.

Sion tried to shake the half-dazed Mirei pitifully, but there was no response.

“Mirei…?”

“Sion.”

“Huh?”

Did Sion sense something from my extremely angry expression? I could sense tension in Sion’s expression as she seemed to be watching my reaction.

“Sion, you should move out of my house too.”

“Huh? Move out?”

“Serin will be arriving soon.”

“Ah… It’s already that time.”

Sion’s eyes widened for a moment at my words, but then she relaxed.

It had been three weeks since Sion’s rehabilitation began, so Serin, who departed from the Empire, would soon arrive in the kingdom.

I needed to hand over Sion’s care to Serin and have Sion hospitalized.

Serin was a caregiver specially sent by Princess Nao to take care of Sion.

Since she had been caring for Sion for the past three years, I could trust her.

“Then we need to set a date for hospitalization… Mirei?”

“…”

“Mirei! Snap out of it! It’s time to work!”

“Work? Can I still work?”

“You can, so pull yourself together and come back here.”

“Yes, yes!!”

Mirei, who had been hugging Sion, hurriedly returned to her original position as instructed.

“Mirei, after today’s appointments are over, check who the next patient to be hospitalized is and go with Sion to ask them to give up their spot.”

“Huh? Give up their spot? What do you mean…”

“Sion will explain it to you.”

“Understood.”

This morning was quite tumultuous.

Now it was time to really start the day.

“Mirei, then first get Sion changed…”

“Ah, speaking of which…”

The story about the rumor of me and Sion wasn’t over yet?

“Yes. Actually, after I told the staff and patients of the Center that Sion is the Hero, they said they really wanted to meet and talk to her…”