Chapter 248: Chapter 248: Don’t Compare Yourself To Him

Fauna noticed it immediately. The way Cecilia’s shoulders hunched lower and lower, the way her gaze fell to the ground, the spark that had once burned in her eyes now dimmed to a dull flicker.

Her confidence was unraveling with every passing second.

And that wasn’t what Fauna wanted. Not at all.

"Cecilia." Fauna called gently.

The young woman flinched and looked up. Fauna gave her a small, knowing smile, one that was warm yet piercing, the kind that saw right through people.

"Don’t tell me..." Fauna began softly. "...you’re actually rethinking your decision as a doctor right now? You’re not seriously thinking of abandoning everything you love because of one single mistake, are you?"

Cecilia stiffened. Her lips parted, but no words came out. She didn’t need to answer, her silence said everything.

She had been thinking about it. She was considering quitting. The shame, the guilt, the emotional wreckage—it was too much.

She couldn’t bear the thought that she, even for a second, might have killed someone.

Fauna sighed gently, leaning back in her chair, her tone calm and nonjudgmental.

"Well..." She said. "If you really want to quit being a doctor, that’s your choice. As your mentor, I can’t stop you. You’re an adult, after all. You can make your own decisions."

The statement shocked everyone, even the patients gasped softly. None of them expected Fauna, the woman who always encouraged perseverance, to so casually accept a student giving up.

But Fauna wasn’t done.

She smiled again, tilting her head slightly.

"However." She continued, her tone light but her words sharp. "I’ll tell you something for certain. If this had been any other day—if you weren’t under pressure, if you’d been working on your own—I can say with absolute confidence that you would have found the correct diagnosis."

Cecilia blinked, surprised.

"I’ve watched you for over a year." Fauna went on, her voice filled with quiet pride. "You’re brilliant. Dedicated. You don’t make careless mistakes. I’ve seen you stay late to double-check reports, skip meals to comfort your patients, and sacrifice sleep just to learn something new."

"You don’t realize it, but I do. So believe me when I say—if this had been an ordinary day, you would have seen everything clearly. You would have caught it."

A faint, trembling smile crept onto Cecilia’s lips. Her chest felt tight, her eyes warm. She hadn’t realized how much she needed to hear that.

Fauna chuckled lightly before saying, "Now, you must be wondering why it went wrong today, when it never would have before."

Cecilia nodded faintly, almost afraid to ask.

"It’s simple." Fauna said, leaning back slightly into Mika’s chest, giving him a teasing glance. "Because of him."

"Because of...him?" Cecilia’s head snapped up.

"You saw him as a rival. A challenge." Fauna giggled. "You wanted to prove you were better than him, to him, to me, to yourself. And because of that, you rushed."

"You let your pride, your adrenaline, and your nerves cloud your judgment. You flipped through those pages too quickly, wanted to impress everyone too fast, and said what looked obvious."

Mika rolled his eyes at how everyone was looking at him like he was the villain right now.

"And if he weren’t here..." Fauna continued, smiling knowingly. "...you’d have taken your time. You’d have gone through every symptom, cross-checked every history file, and made the correct call. You know you would have. But competition—it makes even the best of us stumble sometimes."

A few of the other doctors exchanged sheepish glances.

"And besides..." Fauna added with a little laugh. "Doctors don’t normally challenge each other like it’s some kind of duel. So it’s not as if this sort of thing will happen again."

Her tone was lighthearted, but then she grew serious again, her expression softening into something far more profound.

"But..." She said quietly. "...there will be moments like this. Moments that test you in ways you don’t expect."

Her eyes locked with Cecilia’s.

"Maybe one morning you’ll wake up late, skip breakfast, and you’ll be in a foul mood. Or maybe you’ll have plans later in the evening, and you’ll want to rush through your rounds so you can leave early."

"Or maybe you’ll just be exhausted—sick of everything—and you’ll want to take shortcuts. And in those moments, you’ll be tempted to rush, to say ’it’s probably fine’ and move on."

Cecilia listened intently, her tears slowly drying as she hung onto every word.

Fauna looked around at all her disciples, her gaze calm but commanding.

"And sure, if you were in any other job, that’d be fine. Everyone makes little mistakes at work—a misfiled report, a late order, a typo in a document, no one get hurts from that."

Her tone hardened slightly.

"But you’re doctors. You don’t get that luxury. One rushed judgment, one careless thought and someone does die. That’s the difference."

The young doctors bowed their heads, the truth of it sinking in.

"So if you ever find yourself at your breaking point...take a break."

Fauna’s voice softened again, wrapping around them like a comforting blanket.

"Step back. Breathe. You’re allowed to rest. But when you’re in that white coat—when you’re standing before a patient—you cannot let anything else in. No frustration, no distraction, no ego, no fear."

Her eyes gleamed as she said slowly and clearly.

"When you’re in that ward, you are nothing but a doctor. That’s all you’re allowed to be."

She then leaned forward slightly, her gaze fixed on Cecilia.

"Do you understand that, Cecilia?" She asked, her tone suddenly grave, all traces of warmth gone.

Cecilia hesitated, her voice barely above a whisper.

"Yes, Lady Fauna...I understand."

But that answer didn’t satisfy her mentor. Fauna’s expression hardened; her voice cracked like a whip.

"I can’t hear you, Cecilia!" She barked, her tone carrying the unmistakable firmness of a drill instructor. "I asked—do you understand?"

Cecilia jumped, straightening her back instinctively like a soldier being reprimanded.

"Y-Yes, Lady Fauna!"

She said, her voice trembling but loud. Then, finding her courage, she shouted again.

"Yes! I understand! I understand every word!"

Fauna nodded slowly, her gaze sweeping over the rest of the staff—the doctors and nurses who stood frozen, wide-eyed.

"And what about the rest of you?" She asked sharply, her tone slicing through the air. "Do you understand what I’m talking about?"

Every one of them stiffened at once, standing straighter, as if an invisible command had ordered them to attention.

"Yes, Lady Fauna!" They all replied in unison, their voices echoing through the ward.

She narrowed her eyes, holding their gazes one by one until they flinched.

"Then remember this." She said, voice lowering but still stern. "You are doctors. You carry lives in your hands. You will uphold that duty and that responsibility until your last breath—no excuses, no distractions, no fear. Promise me that."

"We promise!" Came the collective response, loud and clear.

Fauna’s sternness softened, the corners of her lips curling into a faint, proud smile.

"Good." She said simply, leaning back in satisfaction. "Then what are you all still doing here? The fun’s over. Get back to your posts, now."

It was as if a spark of lightning had gone off. The doctors and nurses immediately scattered, hurrying back to their stations like startled birds—or perhaps like roaches fleeing the light, each one murmuring to themselves about the lesson they’d never forget.

When the ward finally quieted down, Fauna turned back to Cecilia, her expression warm again, the gentle, nurturing Fauna returning.

"I’m not going to tell you to forget this mistake." She said softly. "That would be wrong. I want you to remember it—every detail, every emotion—for the rest of your life. Carry it with you as a reminder of what’s at stake every time you make a decision."

She leaned forward, smiling mischievously.

"Can you do that for me, Cecilia? Or are you going to give up and quit being a doctor altogether?"

Cecilia’s head shot up, eyes wide. "

No, Lady Fauna!" She said quickly, shaking her head with fierce determination. "Not at all! I’ll never give up being a doctor, no matter what happens! I’ll always keep saving lives and helping people. I’ll never give up on my dream!"

Fauna’s smile widened proudly as the other three doctors nodded along, their faces flushed but resolute.

"That’s how you should be." She said warmly. "Good girls."

The compliment made Cecilia blush deeply, her heart swelling as she wiped the last of her tears.

But then Fauna’s expression turned sly. She looked at Mika—still sitting comfortably on the wheelchair, lazily playing with a strand of her hair—and then back at her disciples.

"Now, come here for a moment." She said. "All four of you."

They hesitated, glancing at one another, before stepping closer. Fauna leaned in, lowering her voice secretly.

"I probably shouldn’t be saying this to you." She began. "But I suppose I have no choice."

Her eyes flicked toward Mika, who was still completely unconcerned, humming quietly to himself.

"Listen carefully." She whispered. "Don’t ever compare yourselves to Mika."

The four blinked, startled. "Huh?"

Fauna chuckled, shaking her head.

"I’m serious. He’s...different. A breed of his own. No matter how much you study, how long you train, how many years you spend in this field, you won’t reach his level...None of us will."

Their jaws dropped. "Even you, Lady Fauna?" One of them blurted.

To everyone’s shock, Fauna nodded without hesitation.

"Yes. Even me." She laughed softly. "I admit it—I’ll never reach his level in this lifetime."

The doctors were speechless. The idea that Lady Fauna, the Saint of Billions, the woman who practically defined modern medicine, would ever say such a thing was inconceivable.

"I know what you’re thinking." Fauna said with a knowing smile. "You think I’m exaggerating because I adore him too much. Maybe I am a little biased. But that doesn’t make it any less true."

"I’m warning you for your own good. Don’t try to measure yourselves against him, or you’ll only break yourselves in the process. Just do your best, walk your own path, and you’ll live a much happier life."

The four of them gulped and nodded nervously, eyes shifting toward Mika, who looked more confused than proud.

"Come on, Fauna." Mika said with a sigh, scratching his head. "You’re making it sound like I’m some kind of dangerous creature people should avoid. You’re overdoing it."

"I am not exaggerating. I’m telling them the truth!" Fauna pouted, crossing her arms. "I’m just helping them avoid future trauma from comparing themselves to you."

"...Do you have any idea how frustrating it is for people who try to keep up with you?"

"You’re exaggerating again." He groaned.

But Fauna wasn’t done.

"Oh, really? Then maybe you’ve forgotten how Yelena gets whenever she competes with you!"

She said, pointing a finger at him accusingly.

"You’ve seen it yourself. Every single time, she ends up storming off in frustration after losing. The Blade Maiden herself can’t stand losing to you! Do you want my disciples to end up like that too?"

The young doctors gasped. "Yelena...the Blade Maiden...?" One whispered in disbelief.

"You’ve defeated her?" Another murmured, looking at Mika like he was some mythical being.

Mika could only moan louder, rubbing his face in embarrassment. "Fauna, please stop making me sound like some legend! You’re going to give these poor girls the wrong idea."

Fauna, however, only giggled and leaned back into his chest again.

"I’m not giving them the wrong idea." She said sweetly. "I’m just telling them the truth. And protecting my adorable disciples from unnecessary emotional trauma."

The four doctors stood there, wide-eyed, glancing between the two of them.

Lady Fauna, the living saint, and Mika, the boy who even she admitted she could never surpass and they truly wondered who, or what, he really was.

Especially Cecilia who was really was curious about Mika and what exactly he has down to earn such praise from Fauna herself.

But just when everything seemed alright, suddenly—

"Lady Fauna! Lady Fauna, please! We need your assistance! We have an emergency!"