Zora quickly jabbed the needle into Sean's wrist.
Moments later, Sean fell asleep.
"Finally quiet," Zora sighed in relief.
She didn't dare use too much anesthetic—it should wear off in about two hours. She hadn't wanted to use it at all, but Sean's poison attack had gotten too severe. It was better to do this than let him keep hurting himself.
Sean was still curled up, his bangs soaked with sweat stuck to his pale face, tear stains still fresh at the corners of his eyes. He looked like a sad, broken doll.
"Sigh..."
Zora gently removed the cloth from his mouth, took a clean towel from her storage space, and wiped his face and hands. His palms were full of bloody marks from scratching himself.
She had to disinfect them with alcohol, then carefully used her wood-element power to heal him.
His clothes were soaking wet, but she didn't feel right changing them—felt like taking advantage of him—so she just wrapped him in a blanket.
After settling him, Zora felt a bit tired too. She still had to use her power to remove the poison, so she quickly drank a bottle of low-grade potion.
Summer nights in the capital weren't stuffy—in fact, a little cool. A soft breeze carried the sound of cicadas through the window, calming her down.
It was almost 11 PM. By the time she finished detoxifying Sean and got home, it'd be the middle of the night again.
She lay down on the outer side of the bed.
"No, father, Sean will be good. Sean doesn't want the medicine. Please, don't…"
"You drink it! This is all your fault. Why were you born a son? Why can't you do anything right? Only if you behave and take the medicine, father can regain favor. Then we can live a better life."
"No, please…"
Zora heard Sean muttering and quickly checked the time. Two hours had passed—he should be waking up soon. She sat up and leaned over.
"Sean, wake up. Sean." Zora gently patted him, trying to bring him out of the nightmare.
Sean was stuck in the dream. The pain kept repeating. Then he heard a woman's voice calling him.
Once…
Twice…
It was her. Zora was calling him.
"Zora." Sean struggled to open his eyes. Sure enough, her lovely face was right in front of him.
He reached out, pulled Zora into his arms, and held her tightly without a word.
Zora was caught off guard but stayed calm. She let him calm down before checking on him.
"It's okay. I'm here."
"No more fear. It's over now."
Zora gently patted him and spoke softly.
"Will you always be here?" Sean suddenly released her, cupped her face, and looked at her with pleading eyes.
Zora didn't know how to answer. She hesitated.
"You said you wanted to marry me, right? I'll marry you. Then… will you stay?" Sean's eyes flickered, unsure if he was asking her or convincing himself.
"You're not fully awake yet. Let's talk about it when you are."
"Ha." Sean let go, lowered his eyes, and shut down his emotions.
Zora felt a sudden ache in her heart. She opened her mouth but couldn't find the words.
He was closing himself off again, becoming that untouchable noble flower—the elegant gentleman—not the real Sean.
"This glowing thing is interesting."
"I'll go change. My clothes are soaked."
Sean slowly got up, lifted the curtain, lit the lamp, and walked into the screened dressing area.
A short while later, he came back in a white robe, looking even colder.
"What happened today must've been amusing to you. I hope you forget it once you leave this room."
Zora nodded, concern in her eyes. "You were fine yesterday. And I just treated you—by right the poison shouldn't have flared. Why did it get so bad?"
"Accidentally ate something. It's nothing serious. Will it affect the detox process?"
Zora shook her head. "I don't know. Give me your hand—I'll check."
Sean offered his wrist.
It was icy to the touch. In just a few days, his body had been through so much. Even after detoxing, he would need long-term care—or it would affect his lifespan.
And the seduction poison from that day had been extremely strong. The two toxins clashed and damaged his core. He probably couldn't have children in the future…
Zora glanced at him, struggling to find the right words. Before she could speak, Sean did.
"I want the truth. Always."
"Okay."
Zora wasn't heartless. She'd lived thirty years in her last life without any romantic entanglements. Sean was the first man she'd ever really cared about. Seeing that helpless look in his eyes had melted most of her heart.
She composed herself and said gently, "Lights out. Lie down. I'll detox you. When the poison's gone, I'll help you heal. I'll cure you."
Sean nodded, his face still unreadable.
"One month from now, the poison will be gone."
"One month from now, I'll take the scholar's exam. If I pass, will you marry me?"
Sean paused as he was about to blow out the light, then turned to look at Zora.
He felt something stirring in his blood, gathering in his chest, making it hot. He could barely breathe, and tried desperately to suppress it.
"Yes. But as your wife, I won't allow you to take concubines."
"Mm. No concubines."
"There'll be only me in the house. If I die, you won't remarry."
"Mm. I won't let you die."
Sean smiled, walked over to Zora, and gently tucked a stray strand of hair behind her ear. His fingers brushed her face—cool and soft—making her blush.
"If I charm you, and you delight in me, then that's perfect."
"Heh… stop looking. Time to detox."
"Oh—okay." Zora patted her forehead and hurried him to bed.
She felt like she might get a nosebleed. Beauty was dangerous. That one smile from Sean made her lose all resolve—it swept away any lingering sadness.
Sean didn't turn off the lights. His robe was half-open, long hair spilling over, and it made Zora want to cry from frustration. She forced herself to focus and began channeling her power.
An hour later—
Zora opened her eyes, her body and spirit completely exhausted.
"It's done. I'll come again tomorrow."
"You'd better soak in a hot bath before sleeping. Today's flare-up did serious damage. You need proper rest."
"…Got it." Sean smiled, his eyes never leaving her. Zora felt a bit embarrassed.
Blushing, she remembered the ginseng in her storage. She took one out and handed it to him.
"This is a thousand-year ginseng. Stew it slowly and drink it. It'll help you recover. I'm heading out."
And she rushed out in a flustered hurry…