Cassius’s smirk softened into a genuine smile, his eyes scanning her face, noting the healthy flush in her cheeks, the brightness in her gaze.

“That’s good, Vivi.” He said, his voice warm with approval. “Damn good as it seems like the treatment’s working as it should. You’re moving, talking, even sneaking out to the garden like a little rebel.” He raised a brow, teasing. “Proud of you for that, by the way. But let’s talk diet. You eating properly? Getting enough to keep that energy up?”

Vivi nodded eagerly, her smile widening.

“Oh, yes! It’s such a change. Before, when I was so sick, I could barely manage a bowl of porridge a day—sometimes not even that. Food tasted like ash, and I’d struggle to swallow a single bite…But now? I’m eating three full meals every day, and I don’t stop until I’m stuffed. I can actually taste things again—bread, fruit, even soups! It’s like my tongue woke up after years of sleep.”

Cassius leaned back, his fingers drumming lightly on the arm of the chair, his voice thoughtful. “Three meals, huh? That’s what I like to hear. And protein—meat, eggs, that sort of thing? You following my orders there?”

“Absolutely!” Vivi said, her voice brimming with pride. “Every meal’s got meat, just like you said. Roasted chicken, beef stews, even fish sometimes. Miss Elma makes sure the kitchen packs my plates with it. I’m probably eating more than I ever have, and it feels…wonderful. I didn’t realize how much I missed food until I could enjoy it again.”

Cassius nodded, his smile broadening.

“Perfect. You’re building strength, and that’s half the battle. Now, let’s talk breathing. You used to cough a lot, especially at night, with mucus and tightness in your chest. How’s that going? Any trouble, or are things easing up?”

Vivi’s expression grew thoughtful, her fingers fidgeting with the edge of a nearby origami crane.

“It’s much better.” She said, her voice softer but steady. “At night, I still get a bit cold sometimes, and breathing can feel a little heavy, but it’s nothing like before. I don’t cough nearly as much, and that awful tightness in my chest—it’s gone. I can take deep breaths now, feel the air fill my lungs. It’s…freeing, like I’m not fighting my own body anymore.”

Cassius’s eyes glinted with satisfaction, his voice warm with approval.

“That’s exactly what I wanted to hear. The symptoms are fading, and you’re responding to the treatment better than I hoped. You’re a fighter, Vivi, I knew it from the start.” He paused, his smirk returning as he leaned forward, his tone teasing. “Bet you’re dreaming of racing that wheelchair through the whole estate soon, huh?”

Vivi laughed, her cheeks flushing as she swatted at the air, the gloves flapping. “Maybe I am! Don’t tempt me, Young Master Cassius—I might just challenge you to a race one day!”

His chuckle was low, but his words sparked a flicker of curiosity in her, her eyes narrowing as she tilted her head, her voice tinged with wonder. “But…I’ve been meaning to ask. How did you know? My illness, I mean.”

“Mother traveled the continent, scoured every library, consulted every doctor she could find. None of them could name what I had, let alone treat it. But you…you figured it out so quickly, and your treatments are working. How did you know what was wrong with me?”

Cassius’s smirk widened, his tone deliberately casual as she waved his hand.

“I just got lucky, that’s all.” He said, his voice light. “I found an old book in my family’s library—ancient thing, dusty as hell, tucked away in a corner. In it, it had a section on lung ailments, described symptoms just like yours. And just like that, I matched it up, tried a few things, and here we are. Nothing fancy, just a bit of reading.”

Vivi’s eyes widened, a look of understanding crossing her face as she nodded slowly.

“An ancient book?” She said, her voice soft with awe. “That makes sense. Your family’s so old, they must have all sorts of treasures hidden away. I’m so glad you found it, Young Master Cassius. It’s like fate, isn’t it?”

He chuckled, his smirk a shield as he shrugged.

“Fate, luck, call it what you want. Point is, you’re getting better, and that’s what matters.”

But in truth, Cassius’s explanation was a convenient fiction, a story to satisfy Vivi’s curiosity without revealing the impossible reality.

Diagnosing her illness had been almost effortless for him, not because of some dusty tome, but because of a life lived far beyond this world’s comprehension.

In his previous life on Earth, as a Peacemaker, his role was reserved for cataclysmic events—crises that could topple nations or alter destinies. Those missions were rare, leaving him with vast stretches of time to fill.

Boredom was his constant companion, and to combat it, he’d immersed himself in countless pursuits, amassing knowledge and skills with a relentless curiosity.

One of those pursuits was medicine—not just the practical craft, but the entire history and theory of it, from ancient herbal remedies to cutting—edge biotechnology.

He’d studied every text, every case, every breakthrough, absorbing knowledge until he was a living encyclopedia of healing, capable of feats that bordered on miraculous.

Vivi’s condition was a mild case of pneumonia, acute but persistent, a common ailment on Earth but devastating to her frail body. Her weak constitution had amplified its effects, turning a manageable illness into a life—stealing burden, but the diagnosis was straightforward for someone with Cassius’s expertise.

Her symptoms—chronic cough, fatigue, chest tightness—were textbook, and his treatments, drawn from Earth’s medical advancements, were tailored to her fragile state.

Herbal concoctions, dietary changes, and careful exercise had alleviated her symptoms, but Cassius knew the real cure lay in antibiotics, a concept this world hadn’t yet grasped.

Magic could reattach limbs or heal wounds in moments, but its reliance on mystical solutions left gaps in treating bacterial infections.

Fortunately, Cassius’s knowledge extended to deriving antimicrobials from natural sources.

He’d guided Lady Diana, Vivi’s mother, toward isolating a targeted antimicrobial for pneumonia, using specific plant strains and bacterial cultures. Diana, a renowned doctor in her own right, had thrown herself into the research, working tirelessly in her hospital to refine the compound under Cassius’s subtle direction.

She was close—days, perhaps weeks from a breakthrough that would fully cure Vivi, freeing her from the shadow of her illness.

Vivi’s voice pulled him back, her curiosity undimmed as she leaned forward slightly, her eyes gleaming.

“An ancient book sounds so romantic, though.” She said, her voice tinged with excitement. “Was it full of old secrets? Did it have drawings, or fancy writing? Oh, I bet it was beautiful, wasn’t it?”

Cassius’s chuckle was low, his smirk a shield as he leaned forward, his voice teasing. “You and your imagination, Vivi. It was just a book—wrinkled pages, ink smudges, nothing to write home about. Don’t go spinning it into some grand tale. Focus on getting better, not chasing stories about my library.”

Vivi’s pout returned, her voice rising in playful protest. “That’s not fair! You always dodge the best questions! I bet that book’s hidden in some secret vault, guarded by traps or something. One day, I’ll sneak into your family’s estate and find it myself—mark my words!”

He laughed, the sound warm but evasive as he waved a hand. “Good luck with that, little saint, as you’d get lost in the first hallway. For now, lie still—I need to check your pulse, make sure that fire in you isn’t burning too hot.”

Vivi sighed, her pout lingering but softening into a smile as she settled back against the pillows. And just as Cassius reached for her wrist, a sudden thought struck him, his smirk widening into a grin that carried a hint of mischief.

‘Lady Diana’s coming soon.’ He realized, his mind turning over the possibilities. ‘Not just the daughter today, but the mother too. This could be…interesting.’

His eyes glinted, a shadow of his earlier devious intent resurfacing, though he masked it with a professional calm, his focus returning to Vivi.

Cassius’s fingers rested gently on Vivi’s wrist, his touch steady as he checked her pulse. Vivi lay back against the pillows, her heart fluttering with anticipation, her breath shallow as she waited for his verdict.

The quiet rhythm of her pulse under his fingers seemed to stretch the moment, her blue eyes fixed on him, searching for any hint of what he might say.

Finally, Cassius released her wrist, his smirk softening into a genuine smile as he leaned back in the chair.

“Congratulations, Vivi.” He said, his voice warm with approval. “You’re doing better than I expected. Your pulse is steady, your strength’s up—you’re ready to move on to the next stage of your treatment.”

Vivi let out a deep sigh of relief, her shoulders sagging as a weight lifted from her chest.

“Really?” She asked, her voice trembling with hope. “I was so sure I’d gotten worse—I’ve been pushing myself so much, with the garden and all the talking. I thought I’d overdone it. But…I’m really getting better?”

Cassius nodded, his eyes glinting with satisfaction. “You’re not just getting better, you’re thriving. That fire in you—it’s burning brighter every day. Keep this up, and you’ll be out of this bed for good soon.”

Vivi’s smile widened, her heart soaring, but curiosity quickly took hold, her brow furrowing as she tilted her head.

“That’s wonderful, but…what’s the next stage? What do I have to do now? How’s it going to make me better?”

Cassius’s expression shifted, a flicker of hesitation crossing his face, his smirk faltering as he glanced away. The change was subtle but noticeable, and Vivi’s eyes narrowed, her suspicion piqued.

He then cleared his throat, his voice measured as he met her gaze, a strange intensity in his eyes.

“I…can’t really get into that right now.” He said, his tone careful. “It’s better if we wait until your mother’s here. It wouldn’t be…appropriate otherwise.”

Vivi’s brows shot up, her curiosity now tinged with suspicion.

“Appropriate?” She echoed, her voice rising with confusion and excitement. “What do you mean, Young Master? Why can’t you tell me? What’s so special about this next stage that you need Mother here?”

Cassius sighed, his hesitation lingering as he rubbed the back of his neck, his smirk returning but tempered by a cautious edge.

“It’s not that simple, Vivi. The next part of your treatment requires another diagnosis, like the first one we did—checking your heartbeat, your breathing, the standard procedures. You remember those, right? But this one…it’s different. I can’t do it without your mother present.”

Vivi’s mind flashed back to her first diagnosis, a month ago, when Cassius had arrived as just another doctor in a long line of failures. She’d been skeptical then, certain he’d be as clueless as the rest, prodding her with useless tests—her heartbeat, her breathing rate, even making her spit into a cup for some weird analysis.

But he’d surprised her, pinpointing her illness with a precision that had eluded everyone else.

Now, his evasiveness sparked a fire in her, her stubborn streak flaring as she leaned forward, her voice sharp with determination.

“Why can’t you do it without Mother? You did the first one just fine! You’re hiding something, aren’t you? I can tell you’re not saying the whole truth!”

Cassius raised a brow, his smirk twitching as if he’d expected her reaction. “Hiding something? You’re too sharp, Vivi.” He said, his tone teasing but guarded.

“Don’t treat me like a child!” Vivi shot back, her cheeks flushing with indignation as she pointed a gloved finger at him. “I’m not some little girl who needs her mother hovering all the time. I’m a grown adult—older than you, I might add! So tell me the truth, my lord. What’s this diagnosis, and why are you being so secretive?”

Cassius’s eyes glinted, a spark of amusement dancing in them as he leaned forward, his voice dropping to a low tone, as if he were reluctantly giving in.

“Alright, alright.” He said, his smirk widening, though his gaze held a calculated intensity. “Since you’re so stubborn—and trust me, I knew you’d be, I’ll tell you.”

“…But I didn’t want to say this without a proper guardian around, especially with a young noble lady like you. It’s…delicate.”

Vivi’s heart skipped, her curiosity now laced with a thrilling anticipation as she leaned closer, her voice barely above a whisper.

“Delicate? What do you mean? What’s so inappropriate about it?”

Cassius held her gaze, his expression unreadable for a moment before he spoke, his voice steady and serious, though a faint smirk tugged at his lips.

“Unlike the first diagnosis, which was standard—pulse, breathing, all the usual checks, this one’s more…in-depth. It requires me to be much closer to you, Vivi..Much more…intimate.”

“…skin-to-skin contact and much more, to be precise.”

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep