Chapter 49: Trouble

Chapter 49: Trouble

Dinner was a pleasant affair; truth be told, some of the dishes here suited Ye Tian’s palate quite well, though anything half-cooked was out of the question. Laura sat quietly by his side, not uttering a single word, and Ye Tian simply ate in silence.

When the meal was finished, Ye Tian wiped his mouth and turned to Laura. “Miss Laura, let’s head back to fetch my tools before we check in on the princess.” Laura shook her head, her voice cool. “Mr. Gale, aren’t your medical instruments always on your person?”

Ye Tian pursed his lips. Laura’s demeanor was indifferent, and she said nothing more. Emboldened, Ye Tian leaned in close to her ear and whispered, “You little vixen, you’re just stalling. Sooner or later, I’m going to strip you bare!” Laura replied calmly, “If you wish to see, I can undress right now.”

“Fine! You win!” Ye Tian ground his teeth. His attempt at teasing had backfired, but he vowed to return the favor someday. Laura gave a slight, chilly smile. “Now, if you please, let’s see how the princess is doing.” With that, she gestured for Ye Tian to follow her.

Ye Tian scratched his head, feeling dizzy. Laura shot him a furtive glance, then composed herself and led the way. Soon, they arrived at the princess’s quarters. Unfortunately, she was still asleep. Ye Tian didn’t wake her, but instead gently took her hand and examined her pulse with great care.

“Mm, mm,” Ye Tian nodded repeatedly. The princess’s condition had stabilized; her life was no longer in danger, though her body remained frail. Ye Tian dared not risk administering medicine yet—the saying goes, all drugs have their toxicity, and her constitution couldn’t handle it at the moment.

“How is she? How is she?” Kana asked anxiously from the side.

“Don’t worry, the princess is out of danger. But you—how many days have you gone without sleep? Those panda eyes are getting deeper. Someone will be heartbroken if they see you like this,” Ye Tian teased.

“As long as the princess is safe, I can relax. Ah!” Kana rubbed her aching eyes. She truly hadn’t rested properly for days, especially the past two—she’d barely slept at all. Hearing that the princess was well, sleepiness suddenly overcame her.

“Heh, looks like Mickey will have his hands full,” Ye Tian chuckled, deciding not to meddle any further. “Let me put something on your eyes, or you’ll have bags under them and that’s hardly becoming.” He rummaged through his bag, produced a small box, and opened it to reveal a snowy white ointment.

“What’s this?” Kana asked curiously.

“Snow Blossom Cream, good for beauty and complexion,” Ye Tian replied with a smile.

“Wow!” Kana’s eyes sparkled. There wasn’t a girl alive who didn’t care about her looks. “Come here, close your eyes.” Ye Tian scooped a bit of the cream onto his finger and called Kana over.

“Yes, yes!” Kana obediently hurried to Ye Tian’s side and closed her eyes. Ye Tian carefully dabbed the ointment around her eyes.

“How does it feel?” he asked.

“Cool, quite comfortable,” Kana replied.

“All done. Just get some proper rest,” Ye Tian said as he put away the box. Kana immediately ran to the mirror.

“It won’t work that fast,” Ye Tian said with a wry smile.

“Oh,” Kana returned, bowed, and said, “Thank you, Mr. Gale.”

---

“No need. By the way, where’s the basin the princess bathed in?” Ye Tian asked.

“Oh, it’s in the other room. Miss Lige is watching over it,” Kana replied, glancing at the princess lying in the tub. She whispered, “Mr. Gale, how much longer will the princess need to lie like this?”

“About seven days. She should be able to get out of bed then,” Ye Tian considered.

“That’s wonderful,” Kana said happily.

“You go about your business; I’ll go have a look,” Ye Tian smiled and left. Outside, Laura was waiting respectfully.

“Mr. Gale, where to next?” Laura asked.

“I want to check the basin. My night’s work is all in there,” Ye Tian said with a mischievous smile. “Let’s hope nothing amusing happens, though.”

“Amusing?” Laura was puzzled.

“Never mind,” Ye Tian dropped the smile. “Let’s go.”

“This way, please.” Laura led him, and they arrived at the room. Admina was still curled up; Laura knocked, and Lige opened the door.

“How’s it going?” Ye Tian smiled.

“I have no idea what you’re talking about,” Lige replied with a frown.

“Really, not a hint of tension,” Ye Tian pouted.

“Gale, you made me guard this tub all day—what’s the point?” Lige was visibly upset.

“You really are dense. You could have just ladled some water out and kept it; why sit here all day?” Ye Tian lamented.

“You!” Lige was exasperated.

“All right, Mr. Gale, can you finally tell me what you want with this thing?” she demanded.

“No purpose, honestly. Just wanted a look,” Ye Tian said with a grin.

“Gale!” Lige stamped her foot in anger.

“Don’t be angry, don’t be angry—anger hurts the liver. The liver, right here!” Ye Tian pointed to the spot, and Lige actually felt a dull ache there.

Having finished teasing Lige, Ye Tian approached the tub and carefully examined the medicinal water inside. He sighed deeply—it seemed he really was unlucky.

“What’s wrong?” Laura asked.

“Nothing,” Ye Tian replied, dispirited. “I’m heading back, you can dump the water.”

This time Lige didn’t go ballistic. On the way back, Ye Tian said, “Laura, come with me, I’ll treat your wounds.” He didn’t bother with subtleties anymore.

“My injury has already been treated,” Laura replied coolly. “You needn’t trouble yourself.”

“A priest’s healing merely closes the wound. If it’s deep, it can easily tear again,” Ye Tian explained, “And besides, I really want to strip you naked.”

Bang! A loud crash sounded behind them.

“No way, your ears are that sharp? Like a rabbit’s,” Ye Tian was startled.

“Oh, I forgot to mention—Lige is easily excitable,” Laura said, suddenly covering her mouth to stifle a laugh.

“Never mind, compared to stripping you, nothing else matters!” Ye Tian growled fiercely as he looked back.

Inside Ye Tian’s room, Laura hesitated for a long while; Ye Tian had everything prepared and sat to the side, grinning as he watched her.

“Hmph!” Laura’s cheeks flushed. “So, you really want me to do it myself?” Ye Tian stood up with a lascivious smile.

“No need,” Laura snorted, then began to undress. Ye Tian watched with a smile, but suddenly his expression changed, anger surging onto his face.

“What’s the matter?” Laura asked, using her clothes to shield her body.

---

“Come here,” Ye Tian rose and grabbed her, pulling away her arm that covered herself. A cluster of shocking scars greeted him.

“Are you angry?” Laura laughed. She hadn’t seen him angry these past few days, but now, seeing him furious over her wounds, she found him odd indeed.

Suddenly, Ye Tian lifted Laura into his arms and carried her to the bed.

“It’s daytime, you know, and plenty of people are outside,” Laura said, smiling.

“Hmph,” Ye Tian said nothing, setting her on the bed. “Sit cross-legged,” he instructed.

“Cross-legged?” Laura was confused.

Ye Tian didn’t explain further; he arranged her legs himself, then fetched his medical kit and gently began to remove her bandages. His frown deepened as he worked.

Where her skin should have been smooth and flawless, it was instead riddled with scars, large and small. Some had healed, proof that this was not the first time. The bandages merely concealed the most severe wounds, and some weren’t fully covered.

Ye Tian stroked the scars lightly, and Laura’s body trembled.

“Is this from that night?” Ye Tian noticed a wound stretching from her shoulder down to her waist and hip. Though the priest had worked diligently, such a long injury couldn’t possibly heal at once.

“Heh, being too clever attracts girls, you know. Mm!” Ye Tian’s fingers brushed the wound and Laura winced in pain.

“A priest’s healing is superficial, not fundamental. The muscle tissue beneath the wound hasn’t recovered at all,” Ye Tian said, frowning. He produced a small bottle, carefully poured out a pill, and handed it to her. “Swallow this.”

“It’s not some weird pill, is it? Don’t worry, even without aphrodisiacs I’ll... Mm!” Before Laura finished, Ye Tian pinched her cheeks, forcing her mouth open, popped the pill in, and tapped her throat, sending it down.

“Close your eyes and don’t resist,” he ordered, then began to channel his energy, helping her absorb the medicine.

Laura felt her body gradually heating up, a wave of indescribable comfort washing over her. “Mm.” She moaned softly, making Ye Tian’s heart skip a beat. He steadied himself and continued to transfer energy.

“Are you all right?” Laura, utterly unashamed, dressed herself before Ye Tian, forcing her ample bosom into her clothes.

“Honestly, how do they keep getting bigger?” Ye Tian turned his head aside and quietly pressed a hand to his bleeding nose.