Aria hoisted her wooden chair up and went over to another spot. She sat down again, her legs crossed as she said coolly, "Where did this ugly mug come from? You sure do talk a lot."Ugly mug?A dead silence filled the hall. The expression on Christian's face sure was something. Even his lips were trembling as he gaped in disbelief. "What did you just say?""I said you're ugly." Aria chuckled nonchalantly. "Hear that? If you didn't hear me clearly, maybe consider getting your ears treated.""You little…" Christian's chest heaved in anger. Almost everyone wore expressions of shock. Lily was especially taken aback. Her hands were clasped together as she frowned. What was that?Didn't Aria have feelings for Christian? She'd witnessed how Aria had put herself down just for Christian. So why was this happening now?Lily took a deep breath. Christian looked like a clown still stuck onstage. "Did you forget how you begged me just to look at you for a second, Aria?""No woman i
"Thank you for coming despite how busy you are, everyone. I'm very thankful."Lorelia walked down the stairs, clad in a black evening gown. She raised her head and looked at the people in the hall, her bearing intimidating. Malcolm took a deep breath abruptly. "It's been a long time since I'd last seen her, but she's as formidable as always."Aria raised a brow. "You know her?""She's the eldest daughter of the York family. She joined the army before, but I think she's managing a business now," Malcolm added, "You'd better not let loose in front of her. She can send you flying with just a punch."Aria heeded his advice. She lowered her head and chewed on another piece of candy, looking innocuous. Lorelia was a beautiful woman with sharp and deep-set features. It was obvious that she'd been taught well despite her fierce appearance. "My family has prepared a small gift for everyone." She clapped her hands, and a gift box rose beside everyone's seats. The box's contents were
"Yes, it's elvenroot," Aria said, "When you store elvenroot, you should avoid exposing it to strong sunlight, and the temperature shouldn't be higher than 68 degrees Fahrenheit. It's 75 degrees outdoors now. This is also when the UV radiation is the most intense."I'm storing the herb inside my bag so as to preserve its medicinal value. Does a member of the Gunther family not even possess such basic medical knowledge?"The room erupted in chatter the moment she said that. Constantine was still sneering at her. "As if I'd buy any of that bull—""Be quiet, Constantine!" Salome barked.Constantine was stunned. He turned sideways to look at the expression on Salome's face and also at everyone's gazes that were focused on him. Panic showed on his face. Had Aria really hit the nail on the head?Someone laughed, saying, "I expected nothing less from Georgina's student. She has a good intuition when it comes to identifying herbs." The speaker was Wendell Claude, the head of the Clau
"Please enter, everyone!" Lorelia gestured with a flourish. The walls of the hall seemed to ripple for a moment, then receded to reveal several ornately decorated consultation rooms.The doctors would have to form groups and treat those patients. Salome was the first to make a move. She was eager to show everyone what the Gunther family was capable of, especially to Aria. All the patients the York family had found were difficult to treat. Every group of doctors who had entered the consultation rooms stayed a long time in there and came out looking solemn. The doctors from the Gunther and Short families were the only exceptions; they came out with smiles on their faces. Even Zephyr found it somewhat difficult. Fortunately, he also managed to issue a prescription. Many doctors couldn't even figure out what illnesses those patients were afflicted with. They came out muttering under their breaths like students who'd just been done with their exams."What illness is the third pa
"We're done here." Aria grabbed her bag. The patient sounded skeptical. "That's all? You haven't even asked me what other symptoms I have aside from a headache and if I'm suffering from any pre-existing conditions. "You didn't even look at the scans on the table before making such a hasty conclusion. That's a bit ridiculous, isn't it?"Aria returned the pen to the pen holder on the table and smiled. "You're fine. I don't need to ask any more questions."Shiloh pulled her back, though. "Wait, we've only been here for five minutes. You should inspect him for a while longer. Look at the other groups! They spent 20 minutes treating the first patient alone!""That's not important." Aria pressed the bell decisively, confirming that they were done. The people outside the consultation rooms were still discussing the patients' illnesses. They laughed uproariously when they saw Aria's group emerge so soon. "They were in there for such a short time! Did they fail to identify the answer
"Heartbound Hall!" Lorelia announced, looking at Aria with a smile. Upon hearing the results, everyone in the hall fell silent, their eyes wide in disbelief. "Heartbound Hall's in the first place? That's impossible!"Norman's face darkened. Salome couldn't help but lunge forward for the sheet of paper, which she opened only to see the two words "Heartbound Hall" on it.Lily's smile disappeared from her face. She couldn't believe it. Was Aria really a skilled doctor?Everyone's gazes fell on Aria, Malcolm, and Shiloh instantly. As someone decidedly unskilled in medicine, Shiloh had never been the subject of such attention. Startled, he stopped in the middle of yawning.Malcolm was dumbfounded. They placed first? Really?Aria was the only one who remained calm throughout. Salome couldn't handle losing to a nobody under the gazes of everyone else. She crumpled the sheet of paper in her fist and steadied her breathing before asking, "As a doctor, it's probably not appropriate for
"Grandpa." Lorelia stepped forward.A group of black-clad bodyguards stepped forward, forming an orderly line beside the old man. The old man had wrapped bandages around his head as part of his act. He yanked them off, giving Aria a meaningful look before turning to everyone. As expected of a noble family, Titus was sharply intimidating. His gaze made everyone's heart sink."I heard all your discussions," Titus said, his gaze sharp. "Heartbound Hall unquestionably deserves first place."No one dared to voice objections when Titus spoke. Norman, who had initiated the discussion of treatment approaches, wilted under the weight of Titus's statement.Salome forced a smile. "We didn't know it was you…""None of you guessed that it was me inside, except for those three young people," Titus remarked blandly.Salome felt embarrassed, and everyone else was equally uncomfortable; they wished they could disappear. Who would have imagined that the third patient was actually Titus York, p
Lily shook her head, biting her lip. "It's not her fault. There was a massive upheaval in my family, and she couldn't come to terms with it."Her words seemed innocuous, but she'd actually pinned the blame on Aria. Christian frowned. "Just say it, Lily. We're here, so there's nothing to fear. She can't do anything to you!""She didn't do anything to me!" Lily's head was bowed. "She just had a slight misunderstanding concerning us. The Gunther and Kent families have a close relationship. My father gave the Gunther family the Whisperwind Herb as a sign of gratitude after Dr. Gunther took me in as her student, and then…"Christian sneered. "And here she is, making something out of nothing!""Christian, calm down." Salome put on a show of being the bigger person here. "It's good that the misunderstanding has been cleared, or anyone not in the know would think that the Whisperwind Herb was acquired from unlawful sources."A smile bloomed slowly on Aria's face as she watched the borin
Aliya squinted at the unmasked man beside Aria. Now that his face was fully visible, something about him sparked a flicker of recognition. She lowered her gaze, trying to recall where she'd seen him before.Then a sharp gasp cut through the air."He's from the York family… Janovin's York family! Wait—was he Mr. Crow? Were they working together the whole time?"Even though they were all wealthy people, they weren't in the same ranks. No one dared to mess with the York family at all.If the circumstances were different, the arrogant, wealthy people from earlier would've tried to exchange contacts with Landon. That way, they could've partnered up in the future. However, with what had happened that day, those people were in a daze.Meanwhile, Aria knew those people still had no idea what was going on. So, she just removed her disguise and showed them who she really was.Aliya was stunned by what Aria had done. When she saw who the latter truly was, her gaze was filled with jealousy.
The wealthy clients that were left behind at the auction had connections to powerful people, and Dave didn't think Aria was capable enough to deal with every one of them. Although Farshya was well-developed, it had always been a country that focused on connections.Power meant everything, and Dave wanted to see how Aria and her team would deal with his guests. If he remembered correctly, Aliya was the daughter of a great leader in the state. She wanted a womb from a young lady because she wanted to have children.Before the clients got what they wanted, Aria had offended a lot of big shots. Dave thought about it for a second and hoped Aria would suffer as much as he did.Dave was right about one thing. Aliya wasn't anxious at all when someone infiltrated the auction and took control of the event. She was only stunned for a moment at first. Once everything had settled down, she calmed down and even looked a little proud."I suggest you talk to your leader first before deciding to cu
Dave had escaped, but just barely.He'd saved his life, nothing more. The documents he needed to destroy were still intact. Everything had gone completely off script.Every exit had been sealed. If he hadn't killed a villager and disguised himself with a spell, he would've died at the auction. He didn't receive any news about the ambush and was caught entirely off guard.He wasn't in Janovin, and security was that tight there. With his connections, he could've found out what was going to happen in advance. However, that wasn't the case at all.Slipping into a grimy back alley, Dave cursed his luck. Most of his men had been rounded up in the village. He could only hope a few had managed to slip through. But with sirens wailing in the distance, he knew hope was thin."Who the hell was that?" he muttered, wiping dirt off his face with a shaking hand. Normally a stickler for cleanliness, Dave was too rattled to care. "And where's the real Eden?"His mind snapped into action. The scho
Landon's sudden appearance wasn't just a coincidence. With Aria's intelligence, she would figure something out soon—he knew that. He hadn't planned on revealing himself like this. But something that belonged to him was here, and the demonic energy in this place… Aria couldn't face it alone.She studied him from head to toe, her hand still in his. His grip was firm, protective."There's a lot of mist ahead," he said quietly. "We'll need to tread carefully."Aria tilted her head. "You speak like you know this place well.""I do," Landon replied with a calm honesty. "I was deathly ill once. My soul wandered into a place just like this. Homer pulled me back."His voice made it sound like a distant memory, and Aria gave a soft laugh, tightening her hold on his hand. "You really are full of surprises. I guess it's true—handsome men are the most dangerous."But Aria's thoughts were racing. Why had he come after her like this, knowing it would reveal parts of himself he'd tried to keep h
Landon was still handling the stragglers behind Aria when he paused, his gaze flicking upward. Cameras were mounted in every corner—too many eyes. Vanishing without a trace wasn't an option.He glanced in Aria's direction, then lowered his head. His lips moved in a whisper, but the sounds were incomprehensible—something rhythmic, otherworldly. It was less like a speech and more like a chant—an exorcism.Meanwhile, Dave descended into the underground, calm and unrushed. That place reeked of foul energy, dense and suffocating. His master had cast a spell over it—one designed to kill anyone who dared to enter, no matter their strength. Dave wasn't afraid. He had more pressing priorities—destroying documents, erasing traces, minimizing damage.His bodyguard stayed close, watching for anyone who might try to stop them.Aria, moving swiftly, reached the lower floor—only to halt. Mist curled along the ground, thickening with every step. The air turned icy. And the corridor behind her…
"Why would there be people outside?" asked Dave. He had been disguising himself as a doctor for years, and that was the first time he looked so anxious. After all, if someone did approach their building, the villagers would have informed them about it. However, they received no news this time.Dave wondered what was going on."Dr. Dave, what should we do now? I think we're surrounded!"He was still in his coat as he slightly clenched his fists. "Let's move out. Bring the girls in the basement with us.""T-They're not in the basement."When Dave heard that, he looked furious. "What do you mean they're not in the basement?""Someone took them away, and I'm guessing it was her fault!" The bodyguard pointed at Aria, who was standing on the highest point, showing off her skills. With swift, lethal kicks and a taser turned weapon, no one dared get close.Whoever touched Aria would die, and no one dared to approach her at all.As for Landon, he still had his mask on as he stood behind
Chaos erupted at the auction. For all their pride and arrogance, the wealthy clients' expressions had twisted into pure panic the moment something went wrong.So, their first reaction was to seek a staff member."The power's unstable!" Dave spoke into the microphone, trying to project calm. "Everyone, stay calm. There's scheduled maintenance in town—it's just affecting the electricity. Nothing's wrong."He genuinely believed that. It was what he'd been told.But Aria knew better. The blackout wasn't random. It was a signal. Sam had tracked down the source of the call. With the exits sealed off, Aria had everything she needed to act.A faint smirk curled on her lips. Without hesitation, she grabbed Landon and swiftly took Aliya hostage. Her movements were sharp, practiced, so fast that no one around her even had time to react.Then came the needles.Aria flicked her wrist, sending a series of acupuncture needles flying. The rich guests closest to her froze in place, locked in stu
Tony's accusation stirred a ripple through the room, and it didn't escape Dave's attention. With a subtle flick of his wrist, he signaled to someone nearby.Aria caught the movement. Her fingers tensed, ready to slip free of the rope she had already loosened. But before she could act, she heard a smooth, composed voice glide through the air."I need her to boost my luck," the man said coolly. "I've done my research. She's the ideal bride for someone like me."Dave stopped in his tracks, and it seemed like he was telling someone else to verify what Landon had said."Sir, it checks out," one of the staff murmured after a brief consultation. "Mr. Crow's fate is complicated. The master said only a spiritual match could extend his life. Otherwise, he won't make it past his next birthday."Dave let out a low chuckle, visibly relaxing. "Well then, Mr. Crow, it seems you've come to the right place. Please—carry on, everyone."Aria listened in stunned silence. Landon hadn't lied. His life
Aria couldn't tear her eyes away from Dave.He was still quietly speaking to the man on the screen, their exchange shrouded in secrecy. No one nearby could hear what they were saying—but Aria could guess. It had to be a deal of some sort, something about her. Everything about Dave's posture, the glint in his eyes, told her this wasn't just business. It was personal.She glanced up at the clock again, nerves coiling in her chest. Something was wrong. Sam was taking longer than usual. That wasn't like him.The auction was nearing its close. They couldn't miss the chance to strike. Sasha, glowing with excitement, clapped her hands and declared, "Six million! It looks like no one else is bidding—congratulations to our newest member, Mr. Tiger—""Ten million dollars."The voice sliced clean through the noise, calm, clear, and cold.Everyone turned toward it.A man stood at the edge of the crowd, dressed in a sleek tuxedo dusted with black feathers, his mask intricate and dark.T