Chapter 22 (2/2)
“As an aside, you mustn't wrap the cloth above the mother's belly b.u.t.ton. If you do then both the mother and the baby will be in danger.”
“What good will wrapping it around her do? Do you just want to wrap the cloth around your mother??”
Hearing that, young miss Liliana smiles broadly.
“By rolling the cloth, the pain on the lower back and hip joints will become lighter, and at postnatal, the weight gained due to pregnancy can be reduced, and various other effects, as well. It's the ally of women both pre- and post-delivery! The Messiah!!”
Untying the cloth, young miss Liliana grips it tightly and continues speaking without pause.
This is very interesting. In numerous ways.
“I do not mind you putting the cloth around her. However, to take safety into consideration, I prohibit you from wrapping it too tightly, also, in the case of some unexpected situation, I'll have you take the cloth off her.”
Hearing her suggestion taken smoothly, more so than usual, young miss Liliana grinned from ear to ear.
“Thank you very much, Leone-san. Actually, today I have something else I would like to discuss with you.”
“Something else?”
Young miss Liliana nods.
“Rather, this time I want to ask you something… Could you teach me in detail how the human body functions?”
“How the human body functions?”
What a strange subject to request from young miss Liliana.
“Yes. For example, that the heart pumps blood to circulate, that by interrupting the heart, then you will not be able to breathe, and it will lead to death. Blood is the medium that carries out nutrients, oxygen, and waste products. That brain is the central part that performs emotion, thoughts, and the maintenance of life, that kind of things.”
Such things are claimed by young miss Liliana as if common sense. This child. What and to what extent does she understand? Standing silent and still, I am unnerved. I dare not s.h.i.+ver in front of her.
“Since you are a healer, I thought if you had ever performed surgery and cut open through the insides of human body, so I asked about it, but…”
“Young miss Liliana, from ancient times, to cut open through the human body that we have received from G.o.d, it is said that we will receive divine punishment, and that is why it is prohibited. Absolutely… do not tell this kind of thing to other people.”
Young Miss's already large eyes opened even wider in shock, to the point where they were bulging from her head. Clearly she did not know about this.
“Ah… I see. I will never reveal things about human bodies to others. For asking such a weird question, I am so sorry.”
I wonder, what does she know? By chance, does she know about that thing?
“Young miss Liliana, do you know?”
“About what?”
Her head tilts to the side adorably, as young miss Liliana looks up to me.
“Mi”
“Mi?”
No, stay calm. There is no possibility a mere 8 year old girl would know about it.
“No, it's nothing.”
Yes, there is no way she would know.
About miasma.
I must have gone senile, eh.
“Leone-san, you're being weird. You must be very tired. How about taking a rest for today?”
“You're right. I will kindly accept your offer and rest for the day.”
“I apologize for the intrusion. Well then, I am going to have Okaa-sama wear the cloth and give her a ma.s.sage.”
Saying that, young miss Liliana left through the door. Really, she comes up with ideas, one after another.
Recently, Madame has been practicing a breathing technique that she will use during childbirth, going hi-hi-fuu-. It is apparently called the Lamaze method. Introducing the technique early in the pregnancy, it will teach her to give birth in a natural way by eliminating as much tension, and fear as possible during the birthing process. Often when people are overwhelmed with fear and tension, the pain they feel will become exaggerated, and there is the possibility of falling into panic during that process. Having the patient think ahead to what the situation will be like in advance, seems to be an effective strategy.
Aside from that, except when maintaining the sanitation of the bedding, keeping myself clean is apparently ”necessary and, if anything, must be upheld above all,” I was told.
I have no objection to that. Many people would prefer clean things over dirty ones. Besides, I also prefer cleanliness. I will make sure everything is tidy during an occasion like childbirth.
When I told her as much, young miss Liliana seemed relieved.
Her relief seemed out of place to me, so I asked her why she had insisted on that point so strongly. The answer I received was astonis.h.i.+ng. Young miss Liliana told me that during childbirth, it’s possible for bad things to enter the mother's body from the midwife's hands and any instruments used. That can cause a persistent fever and lead to death.
If her knowledge is true, then the cause of my mother's own death could be……
If by simply making things clean, I wonder how many lives could be saved? I can't help but think along those lines.
Young miss Liliana's knowledge is not outs.h.i.+ned by other sources. Without a doubt, she truly possess the Hand of G.o.d (furigana over 'Hand':light).
Treatments of illnesses and wounds are often called imposition of hands (or laying of hands).
Since the conjugation of the word 'treatment' [E.N./TLN: in historic j.a.panese] is that of ”Hands” – ”That manipulate”.
Thus it is accurate to say that the hands themselves lie at the roots of a medical treatment.
Young miss Liliana gently ma.s.sages the Madame while pouring her magic power into the Madame's body, gradually flowing around its entirety, filling it.
I touched the Madame, to confirm the nature of the magic that she was being filled with, to find it to be a kind and gentle, soothing power. This is a unique magic to me, never have I seen nor heard of such a healing magic that can cover the whole body.
Just as the person in question had said, I can only describe this as a true 'Hand of G.o.d.' Looking at young miss Liliana's expression, she seems to be using this healing magic unconsciously.
It has been said that magical power runs deep in the blood of the upper cla.s.ses, and n.o.bles are of that cla.s.s. Albeit, n.o.bles whom possess healing magic are almost zero. Most healers come from commoners or lower cla.s.ses. I suspect it may be driven from the desire of the lower cla.s.ses to save others.
I'm sure that many will be saved by this compa.s.sionate girl's Hand of G.o.d, even despite her being a n.o.ble.
Like his hand, who led me from the edge of death.
Hand of G.o.d.
It saves lives that could not be saved, a hand of miracles.
A day will come where young miss Liliana will be the target of the inevitable, cruel fate that plagues all healers. If it is young miss Liliana, I am confident that she will shake off the sadness of that tragic path that all healers must traverse.
I wonder what the world must look like through her eyes. We're currently losing our grasp on knowledge (furigana: light). Young miss Liliana, without losing heart, hopes to save others, and strives to s.h.i.+ne out countless lights across the entire world.
I have witnessed the next generation inheriting our will, Selia-sama. Let us connect the light, our wills, to the future.
“Hey, Rou. I cannot yet go to your side. Please wait a little bit longer.”
This is what I think now. I became a healer out of my own will. Since then, no more miasma outbreaks have occurred. Despite it being fact that it was a decennial occurrence until then.
Has the miasma ceased to exist, or…
I am writing it down. So that the knowledge (furigana: light) shall not be lost again. Let us pa.s.s it on. So that even one more life can be safely brought into this world.
Hand of G.o.d.
A pillar of light, splitting the darkness.
Hold that hand.
Do that, and you shall know the world.
This world is full of beautiful things.
Grasp joy.
And, good luck.
The world grants its blessings unto you.
After all, you have been guided by the Hand of G.o.d.
Live.
[The Healer Leone Viola Meredith's Notes – Foreword]
Later on, the Healer Leone's notes are used by many healers as textbooks, in order to gain the works of G.o.d's Hand.
Due to this, the mortality rate of stillborn babies and infants decreased.
The healer Leone does not mention the owner of the Hand of G.o.d in her notes.
However, no healers would not know of her.
That the Hand of G.o.d (furigana:light) is Liliana la Oliviria, the count's daughter.
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