Zion had not expected to encounter this physique again.
Not in this lifetime.
And certainly not here.
For a brief moment, memories from his previous life surfaced. He remembered a warrior he had once encountered, a member of one of the ancient clans. That man had possessed terrifying talent and an extraordinary bloodline, yet even he had struggled beneath the burden of the Physique of Protos.
The fact that Callista Moonstone possessed the same physique meant her identity was far more complicated than the world believed.
Across the countless realms, there were people born with special physiques. Some were blessed by the heavens, possessing talents that allowed them to advance through cultivation at astonishing speeds. Others were cursed by their very bodies, unable to cultivate properly and eventually becoming objects of ridicule within their own clans.
Zion understood that feeling better than most.
In his previous life, he too had once been regarded as useless because he couldn't cultivate. At the time, his destroyed mana core had been the primary reason. Even now, he still didn't know who had destroyed it.
But regardless of the cause, he had lived through those years as someone the world considered worthless.
The Physique of Protos was different.
It was both an extraordinary blessing and a terrible curse.
Its bearer possessed astonishing potential in the early stages and could grow far faster than ordinary cultivators. But once the curse hidden within the physique awakened, the body's temperature and sensation would gradually begin to disappear from the feet upward.
The freezing process would continue until it reached the rest of the body.
And if the problem wasn't resolved before that happened, death was inevitable.
Yet the very same physique that could condemn its bearer to death could also become their greatest advantage.
If its bearer survived the curse, the transformation would be extraordinary.
A talent once cursed by the heavens would become one favored by them.
In his previous life, Zion had encountered only one person who had survived that catastrophe.
That had been a thousand years ago.
He had never imagined that the next person to possess such a physique would be the very prince the entire empire mocked as a cripple.
His gaze slowly descended toward Callista's legs.
The unnatural cold he had felt earlier.
The rigid, almost steel-like texture beneath her skin.
The complete lack of sensation below her knees.
Everything matched.
Meanwhile, Callista remained silent as she watched Zion's reaction.
She had noticed the momentary shock in his eyes.
It hadn't been the reaction of someone who merely recognized an illness. There had been something deeper in it, as though he had recognized something that should have been impossible for him to know.
Even the divine Physician of the continent had failed to determine the true cause of her condition.
How could this young man possibly know?
An unfamiliar uneasiness settled in Callista's heart.
Alder, unaware of the thoughts passing between them, finally couldn't restrain himself.
"Physician Zion," he asked carefully, "is there a cure for Young Miss's condition?"
Zion didn't answer.
Instead, he crouched beside Callista's wheelchair and pressed his fingers lightly against her calf.
"Where did the numbness begin?"
Alder froze.
That question alone told him that Zion had already understood something important.
He wasn't examining her as though this were a simple injury.
He wasn't checking for poison.
He wasn't even treating it as a problem with her bones.
He had gone straight to the loss of sensation.
Callista's expression changed as well.
The casual amusement that had lingered in her eyes disappeared.
For the first time since entering Origin Medical Hall, she looked at Zion with complete seriousness.
"Below the knee," she answered. "There is no feeling."
Zion nodded.
He pressed his fingers deeper into the muscle, carefully tracing the area where the strange cold had gathered.
The instant he did, he felt it.
The curse.
It wasn't merely affecting the surface of her body. It had penetrated deep into her flesh and was gradually spreading upward, freezing her body's natural vitality and dulling her senses.
Zion withdrew his hand.
"I understand."
Alder immediately leaned forward.
"Understand?"
His voice carried barely restrained urgency.
"Do you know what caused it?"
"I know."
Zion said it so casually that Alder almost wondered whether he had heard correctly.
His eyes widened.
"What is it? Please, tell us."
For years, they had searched for an answer.
The divine Physician had examined Callista and failed. Numerous physicians had tried different treatments, and none had produced results.
Alder didn't care whether Zion's diagnosis was correct yet.
He simply wanted to hear an actual answer.
Anything was better than another physician shaking his head and admitting that they had no idea what was wrong.
Zion blinked at him.
"I know what it is."
Alder's expression brightened slightly.
Then Zion continued.
"But why should I tell you?"
Alder's expression froze.
For several seconds, he simply stared at Zion.
His mouth opened.
Closed.
Opened again.
No words came out.
Even Callista was momentarily speechless.
Then she laughed.
A low, warm laugh escaped her lips, genuine amusement replacing the seriousness that had filled her expression moments earlier.
It had been a long time since Alder had heard his princess laugh like that.
His face reddened.
"You're a physician!" he protested. "If you examine the princess, shouldn't you at least tell us what you discovered?"
Zion glanced at him.
"But I'm not running a charity clinic."
He pointed toward the large plaque outside.
"Does that say 'Free Clinic'?"
Alder was speechless again.
Zion's gaze shifted toward Callista.
"And your princess is so poor that she still hasn't paid back the hundred gold coins she owes me. Why should I give her a free diagnosis?"
Alder nearly collapsed.
Callista's expression twitched.
She had been called many things before, but being accused of being too poor to pay a debt by a sixteen-year-old physician was certainly a new experience.
Alder stared at Zion in disbelief.
"Then why did you diagnose her in the first place?"
Zion answered immediately.
"My mood."
Alder blinked.
"I felt like it."
Alder stared at him, his mouth opening and closing uselessly.
He had never before experienced defeat through nothing more than someone's personality.
Callista, however, had stopped smiling.
She looked at Zion carefully.
The playful atmosphere disappeared from her face.
"You really know the reason behind my paralysis?"
Her voice was quieter this time.
There was no teasing in it.
Zion lifted his chin slightly, confidence returning to his expression.
"Of course."
He glanced around the medical hall.
"Otherwise, why would I dare open a clinic at my age and run it alone?"
He said it lightly, almost as though the answer were obvious.
But Callista caught the meaning behind his words.
He wasn't bluffing.
The certainty in his eyes was too natural.
A sly smile slowly returned to her lips.
Before Zion could step away, Callista suddenly reached out and caught his wrist.
Her grip was firm.
She pulled him closer.
"Darling," she said, leaning toward him, "if I already belong to you, shouldn't you take responsibility for me?"
Zion's mind went blank for an instant.
Callista's face was suddenly much closer than it had any right to be. Her expression was completely serious, which only made the ridiculous words coming from her mouth even more absurd.
She continued in the same solemn tone.
"Surely seeing your woman suffer would hurt your heart."
Zion's temple twitched.
This woman...
She was beautiful, intelligent, dangerous, and completely shameless.
And somehow, she had decided that teasing him was worth more than preserving her dignity.
"We've met twice," Zion said slowly, suppressing the urge to throw her wheelchair out of the building. "Leave the medical hall. Now."
He turned sharply, intending to walk away before his patience finally ran out.
He took only one step.
A sudden pull came from behind.
Zion lost his balance.
Before he could react, his body fell backward and landed directly against Callista.
Alder's eyes widened.
His entire mind went blank.
Zion was sitting on Callista's lap.
One of Callista's arms had wrapped around his waist to keep him from falling, while her other hand still held his wrist.
And the princess herself?
She looked entirely pleased with the situation.
A man sitting in the lap of a woman surprisingly appeared more romantic instead of comedic, for some reason.
Zion was stunned by the sudden turn of events.
Then he twisted his head.
Their faces were barely an inch apart.
So close that he could clearly see his own reflection in her violet pupils.
For the first time, even Zion didn't immediately have a response.
Callista noticed his expression.
A slow smile spread across her lips.
"You're surprisingly cuter when you're flustered."
Her voice was low and warm, carrying just enough affection to make Zion's scalp prickle.
That finally snapped him out of it.
No man likes to be called cute.
He immediately tried to stand.
However, Callista's arm tightened around his waist.
"Is my husband shy?"
She leaned closer, her voice dropping into a teasing murmur near his ear.
A faint fragrance reached Zion's senses.
His face warmed despite himself.
He hated that someone so dangerous could carry such an alluring scent.
Zion quickly suppressed the distracting thought and sharpened his gaze.
"If you don't let me go," he said quietly, "you'll regret it for the rest of your life, Princess."
His tone wasn't loud.
It didn't need to be.
Even though his current cultivation wasn't enough to defeat Callista, Zion had countless ways to make her regret provoking him.
Callista studied his expression for a moment.
Then, finally, she released him with a soft sigh.
"I was only joking."
She looked completely innocent.
"Why are you taking it so seriously, darling? Between husband and wife, such banter is completely common."
Zion immediately stood and straightened his clothes.
His expression had become cold enough to freeze water.
"You're an imperial princess. There are countless men who would gladly pursue you. Why bother wasting your time with me?"
He stared at her.
"Isn't it boring to keep making these jokes at my expense?"
"Because I'm not interested in anyone else."
The answer came without hesitation.
Callista smiled.
"I only like you."
Zion's eye twitched.
She lied with such complete sincerity that it was almost impressive.
"But I don't like you."
The words left his mouth plainly.
Callista's smile disappeared.
Her expression immediately collapsed into exaggerated heartbreak.
"Is my husband already married?"
"No."
Zion answered instinctively.
The moment the word left his mouth, Callista's entire demeanor brightened.
"Good."
Her smile returned.
"Then I'm relieved. You can consider me. I'm quite good at being a wife."
Zion stared at her.
"Get lost, woman."
His patience had finally reached its limit.
If he stayed here another minute, he genuinely feared he might stab her.
He turned around and strode deeper into the medical hall without looking back.
Alder watched him disappear.
Then he slowly turned toward Callista.
The princess was still smiling.
"Young Miss…"
"Let's go."
Callista wheeled herself toward the exit.
Her purpose for coming here had already been achieved.
As she passed through the doorway, a faint smile remained on her lips.
"Darling…"
She murmured softly, her eyes carrying a trace of genuine curiosity.
"You really are interesting."