Meanwhile, Origin Medical Hall was undergoing another change.
The two apprentices Eirik had recommended, Silver and Storm, had finally arrived. Their timing could hardly have been better, though neither of them had expected to find themselves stepping into one of the busiest medical halls in the Imperial City.
After their former master retired, the two had been left without a place to continue their training. Their medical knowledge was respectable, but neither had reached the level where they could confidently establish a clinic of their own. They lacked both the reputation and the capital required to survive independently, and finding another physician willing to take them in had proven far more difficult than they had expected.
They had already begun considering other work, even if it meant abandoning medicine altogether.
Then Eirik had told them that Origin Medical Hall was looking for help.
The opportunity had seemed almost too good to be true.
A position in the medical hall that everyone in the Imperial City was suddenly talking about was something they had never imagined they could obtain. When they arrived and saw the long lines outside, the constant movement of patients and attendants, and the stream of people carrying medicinal herbs through the doors, they finally understood just how fortunate they had been.
By the time they put on their aprons and began working, their initial disbelief had turned into determination.
They were not going to waste this opportunity.
Silver and Storm worked diligently from morning until evening. They cleaned the treatment rooms, organized herbs and medical supplies, memorized the procedures used in the hall, recorded patient information, and handled whatever small tasks were necessary to keep the clinic running smoothly.
Neither complained about the workload.
They knew exactly where they had come from, and neither wanted to return there.
Their earnestness quickly earned Zion's approval. They were respectful, attentive, and willing to learn, and unlike many people who had recently begun flocking to Origin Medical Hall, they did not treat the clinic's sudden fame as an opportunity for personal gain.
For Zion, that was more valuable than medical skill alone.
A capable physician could be trained.
A reliable person was harder to find.
With Silver and Storm helping Eirik manage the growing workload, Zion could finally devote more of his attention to patients who actually required his expertise.
For the moment, things were settling into place.
But elsewhere in the Imperial City, another family had begun to place all its hopes in the Divine Physician.
***
At the General's Manor, Kaelan remained secluded inside his residence.
He avoided the sunlight.
He avoided mirrors.
Most of all, he avoided people.
The face that had once been one of his greatest sources of confidence had become something he could barely bear to look at. The poison had left scars across his skin, and although the worst of the pain had passed, the marks remained.
Every glance in a mirror reminded him of what had happened.
He had cried until his voice became hoarse, and Jasmine had watched helplessly as her son broke down in front of her.
For a mother, seeing her child suffer was painful enough.
Seeing him lose confidence in himself was worse.
Then the rumors about the Divine Physician reached the manor.
The young physician from Origin Medical Hall could cure illnesses that other Physicians considered hopeless.
He had even restored a patient who had been on the verge of death.
For Kaelan, those stories became a fragile thread of hope.
Perhaps his face could be restored too.
Perhaps he would not have to spend the rest of his life hiding.
Jasmine had been searching for an opportunity to take him to Origin Medical Hall, but securing an appointment was extraordinarily difficult. Zion only treated ten patients a day, and those places were claimed almost as soon as they became available.
Kaelan could not simply walk through the streets and wait in line.
Not with his current appearance.
Every failed attempt had only deepened his frustration.
Today, however, Jasmine entered his room with a smile.
"Kaelan."
She took his cold hand between both of hers.
"I managed to secure an appointment at Origin Medical Hall. They only accept ten patients a day, so I had to pay a considerable price for the place. You can go today."
Kaelan's eyes widened.
"You really got one?"
His voice carried a trace of disbelief.
Jasmine gently squeezed his hand.
"Of course I did."
She reached up and stroked his cheek, careful around the damaged skin.
"You are my precious child. How could I not put you first?"
Kaelan's eyes immediately reddened.
"Thank you, Mother."
For days, he had imagined what it would feel like to have his old appearance restored.
He knew he could not turn back time. He knew the scars had already become part of him.
But if the Divine Physician was truly as capable as everyone claimed, perhaps there was still a chance.
A chance to look in a mirror without feeling ashamed.
A chance to walk outside without hiding his face.
And perhaps...
His thoughts drifted toward Vanessa.
Even after everything that had happened, a part of him still clung to the attention and affection he had once received from her.
If his appearance could be restored, perhaps he could regain what he had lost.
That hope was enough to make his heart beat faster.
"Get ready," Jasmine said. "We are leaving soon."
Kaelan nodded.
For the first time in days, he felt that there might actually be a future waiting for him beyond the walls of the manor.
***
Back at Origin Medical Hall, Zion had just finished treating his ninth patient of the day.
He had barely set aside his medical tools when a familiar voice came from the entrance.
"Divine Physician Zion!"
Zion's expression immediately tightened.
Of all people.
Why did it have to be her?
The commotion outside grew louder.
"Look! Her Highness, Princess Vanessa, has arrived!"
"She recovered completely because of the Divine Physician!"
"I heard the palace physicians had already given up hope!"
"She must have come personally to thank him!"
The crowd outside parted as an entourage approached.
A carriage stopped near the entrance, surrounded by guards. Vanessa stepped down with the confidence of someone accustomed to having an entire street make way for her.
She was dressed far more elaborately than the average patient who entered Origin Medical Hall, and the moment she appeared, the surrounding crowd recognized her.
Whispers spread through the street.
Patients craned their necks to see what would happen.
Even Silver and Storm, who had only recently joined the medical hall, became noticeably tense.
Zion, meanwhile, simply sighed.
The hall was already crowded enough without this.
Although he limited his practice to ten patients a day, Origin Medical Hall had become one of the busiest places in the city. The line began forming before dawn and often stretched far beyond the entrance by mid-morning.
Some people came because they genuinely needed treatment.
Others came simply because they wanted to see the physician who had revived a forgotten medical technique and cured the princess.
Naturally, Vanessa's arrival attracted even more attention.
Zion stepped outside to meet her.
His expression was courteous, but there was none of the warmth he showed patients.
"Your Highness."
Vanessa's heart gave an involuntary beat when she saw him.
The sight immediately brought back the vague image from the days when she had been unconscious.
White clothing.
A blurred figure leaning over her.
A hand administering medicine.
At the time, she had been too weak to see clearly, and that indistinct image had remained in her mind as something almost unreal.
Now she could see the person standing before her.
It was Zion.
The young physician who had saved her.
Vanessa felt a rush of excitement.
She had already convinced herself that Zion had feelings for her. His willingness to save her, combined with the circumstances of their earlier encounters, seemed like obvious proof in her mind.
She approached with a confident smile.
"Mister, you saved my life. Calling me Your Highness makes you sound so distant."
Zion raised an eyebrow.
"Then what would you prefer I call you?"
"Just call me by my name."
Zion paused.
He had no interest in becoming familiar with Vanessa, but refusing outright in front of so many people would only create unnecessary trouble.
"That doesn't seem appropriate."
Vanessa waved it away.
"If I say it's fine, then it is."
Zion's lips twitched.
"Very well, Vanessa."
"Mister Zion."
Vanessa deliberately softened her voice as she spoke his name.
"Thank you for saving my life. The physicians of the Imperial Hospital admitted that they could do nothing for me. Without you, I might not have survived."
Zion remained composed.
"The Imperial Hospital's physicians are highly skilled. I was simply familiar with the condition."
He had no intention of taking credit for more than necessary.
Vanessa, however, seemed more interested in him than his explanation.
Her gaze wandered through the medical hall and settled on Silver and Storm, who were busy assisting the other patients.
Then she turned back to Zion.
"Zion, isn't it exhausting for you to manage this place alone?"
There was concern in her voice.
At least, that was what Vanessa believed she was expressing.
In reality, she had spent considerable time thinking about what she would say when she finally met Zion again. She had already decided that today was the day she would make her intentions clear.
She wanted to take him as her man.
As a princess, she believed there was no reason he would refuse.
Who would reject such an opportunity?
"It isn't particularly difficult," Zion replied.
He had already turned away and returned to arranging herbs.
Vanessa followed him.
Zion moved to one side.
She followed.
He stopped to inspect a tray of medicinal ingredients.
She stopped beside him.
From behind the counter, Black quietly leaned toward White.
"He's following Master."
White glanced at Vanessa.
"Obviously."
Black's eyes narrowed with amusement.
"I wonder what she'll look like when she learns who Master really is."
White suppressed a laugh.
"She'll probably wish she had never come here."
The two furballs continued watching from their hiding place as Zion deliberately busied himself with one task after another.
His message was obvious.
He did not want to talk.
Vanessa somehow failed to notice.
She continued following him through the hall, apparently interpreting his silence as shyness rather than disinterest.
Eventually, Zion stopped.
He turned around.
Vanessa nearly walked into him.
Zion looked at her for a moment, then quietly asked, "Your Highness, is there something you need?"
That finally gave Vanessa the opening she had been waiting for.
"Zion."
She smiled confidently.
"How about becoming my man?"
The surrounding noise seemed to disappear for a moment.
Vanessa continued before Zion could respond.
"If you agree, you won't have to worry about running a small medical hall anymore. I can give you wealth, status, and a comfortable life. You can have anything you want."
She spoke with complete confidence.
In her mind, there was no possibility of rejection.
After all, she was a princess.
And she was certain Zion had saved her because he cared about her.
Zion simply stared at her.
He had heard enough.
Then his gaze shifted beyond Vanessa, toward the people who had followed her into the hall.
A faint smile touched his lips.
"Your Highness," he said, "I heard that the man you once favored was from the General's Manor."
Vanessa's expression changed slightly.
She immediately shook her head.
"How could Kaelan compare with you?"
She spoke without hesitation.
"My feelings for him were only temporary. What I feel for you is different."
She sounded completely sincere.
Zion's amusement deepened.
Before he could answer, however, a trembling voice suddenly came from behind Vanessa.
"Your Highness..."
The voice was filled with disbelief.
Then it broke.
"You..."
Everyone turned toward the speaker.