Chapter 29: Instantly a Fangirl
Joseph looked at the pitiful girl before him, shaking his head slightly, his heart filled with emotion.
He had once read in a book by Maugham the words of the monk Montaigne Louis from that era—"I hate, pity, and despise all women of letters. They should hold embroidery needles in their hands, not pens. Only embroidery needles are the tools they can wield with ease."
Until the 18th century, the status of women remained very low. Even in France, the birthplace of the Enlightenment, women were not permitted to work as writers, doctors, or lawyers, nor could they even hold bank accounts. Society kept them firmly confined to the domestic sphere.
As a man from the 21st century, Joseph naturally disagreed with such views. The dozen or so people standing nearby, however, all looked at Perna with strange expressions, seemingly believing it was highly improper for a woman to speak of learning surgery.
Even Clauzel wore the helpless smile one might give to a naughty child throwing a tantrum, as Perna reminded him of his own rebellious younger sister, who insisted on studying law.
His smile, however, only made Perna feel even worse.
She was fed up with men's mocking and amused smiles!
Just moments ago, she had fantasized that the Crown Prince before her, who had earned Professor Lagrange's praise and possessed vast medical knowledge, might hold enlightened views. But now, the attitude displayed by his guard captain easily shattered her fragile hopes.
'The Crown Prince must have the same thoughts as them,' Perna thought, tilting her head back, trying hard to keep her tears from falling. Yet, she saw the Crown Prince walking towards her, his voice full of encouragement:
Perna froze, her clear green eyes wide with disbelief. "Your Highness?"
Joseph picked up the scalpel from the floor and chuckled warmly:
"Someone like you, so full of ideals and courageous in practice, is bound to become a great doctor in the future."
"But I..." Perna hadn't expected the Crown Prince to truly support her, and she began to stammer. "I—I am a woman. Your Highness, do you believe women can also be doctors?"
"Of course." Joseph handed the small knife back to her, nodding. "Being a doctor is merely a profession, and women are perfectly capable of it. If one day I fall seriously ill—oh, I mean, if by chance—it's very likely that Doctor Perna will be the one to save my life.
"If I ever have the opportunity, I would even advocate for legislation to permit women to practice medicine."
"Oh, Your Highness! For heaven's sake, please tell me, do you truly think that? You're not mocking me, are you?"
"Of course," Joseph affirmed sincerely, nodding.
Perna's heart suddenly began to pound. 'If even someone as noble as the Crown Prince supports my ideal, what do I have to worry about? Could my dream truly come true?'
"I've never heard anyone speak like you before."
She stared at the Crown Prince in a daze, feeling as if she were dreaming. Everything around her lost its color; only the Crown Prince shone brightly, like an angel in a Raphael painting, so beautiful and pure.
Suddenly, she covered her face, softly sobbing, letting her tears release the accumulated grievances of the past and the joy of the present moment.
"Huu... thank you, Your Highness."
"Look at you, why are you crying all of a sudden?" Joseph patted the girl's shoulder, just about to offer more words of comfort, when his stomach let out an ill-timed rumble.
Perna paused, then couldn't help but let out a small giggle, asking softly:
"Your Highness, did you come to the kitchen for a late-night snack?"
Joseph glanced around, a bit awkwardly, and said:
"I am a bit hungry, but the chefs seem to be gone. It appears I've come here for nothing."
"The chefs... they might have gone to fetch the ingredients for tomorrow, perhaps."
Joseph knew that the chefs were almost certainly slacking off and sleeping, but he didn't expose her. After all, he himself had snuck in plenty of naps during late shifts in his past life.
"Your Highness, if you don't wish to wait..." Perna seemed to gather all her courage, her face flushing as she spoke softly, "Perhaps I could make you something to eat?"
She watched the Crown Prince nervously, afraid he might laugh at her.
"That sounds wonderful," Joseph nodded cheerfully. "Thank you very much."
Fortunately, the palace kitchen's stoves were never extinguished, and ingredients were always prepped. Perna changed out of her apron, the one she wore for anatomy practice, thoroughly washed her hands, and then began to busy herself at the stovetop.
In less than 20 minutes, a plate of foie gras baked in red wine, emitting a rich aroma, was placed on the small table typically used by the chefs for tea. Beside it was a small dish of sugar beet and tomato soup.
Clauzel, ever diligent, sampled a bit of each dish. Only after confirming they were safe did he step back to the side.
Joseph was already ravenous, his stomach rumbling. Catching the scent, his appetite was instantly piqued.
He picked up his cutlery, about to begin, when he noticed Perna standing awkwardly to the side. He quickly waved her over:
"Come and eat with me."
The girl waved her hands repeatedly. "Thank you, Your Highness, but I won't eat. Please, try it and see if it suits your taste."
Joseph looked at the plate, which held enough foie gras for three people. Without allowing for argument, he pulled her to sit down, then fetched another plate, divided the dish equally, and chuckled:
"It makes no sense for you to labor for so long only to watch me eat. Besides, I can't very well let France's first female doctor go hungry, can I?"
Perna's face instantly turned crimson. She lowered her head and silently picked up her knife and fork.
Joseph placed a piece of golden-fried foie gras along with a slice of black truffle into his mouth. Immediately, his palate was filled with a unique richness, yet the truffle prevented it from tasting at all greasy.
His teeth cut through the crispy skin, revealing the tender, succulent foie gras beneath, which melted in his mouth almost without resistance. Joseph closed his eyes in pure enjoyment.
After swallowing a large piece of foie gras, he gave a thumbs-up in praise:
"Simply magnificent! If you weren't going to be a doctor, you'd certainly make a fantastic chef!"
"Really?" Perna's eyes sparkled with delight. "I learned it from Monsieur Valiste in my free time."
Joseph cut off another piece of foie gras and held it up, gesturing with it:
"As a thank you for your cooking, I've decided to give you a gift."
"Oh no, no, Your Highness! I'm already happy that you enjoyed the food. How could I possibly accept anything else from you?"
Joseph chuckled, "Don't be shy. The attire you wore for your anatomy practice was long and cumbersome. Later, I'll have a tailor make you a special doctor's uniform. Oh, and it might even be adopted nationwide someday, so you can think of it as helping me test it out."
Perna's face flushed to the tips of her ears. She lowered her head and whispered, "Thank you, Your Highness."
...
The next morning, as usual, Perna waited for the Crown Prince to wake up, then brought her medical kit to perform his routine examination.
But unlike before, she hadn't applied that dull powder to her face today, and her lips retained their natural color. Her complexion appeared delicate and smooth, radiating a healthy and fresh beauty.
She approached Joseph, set down her leather case, bowed, and took out his medical records, asking:
"Your Highness, does your throat still hurt?"
"Much better, just a little bit left."
"Are you coughing?"
"Occasionally, but it's very rare now."
"Do you have any phlegm?"
"A little."
The girl diligently noted each detail. Then, she happened to glance up and caught sight of the handsome lines of Joseph's face. Her heart gave a sudden thump, and a thought flashed through her mind: 'The Crown Prince is so handsome! How did I not notice before...?'
Her face instantly turned bright red.
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