Chapter 37
Elian could only bear it. After all, Mr. Ashcroft was his god–grandfather.
He wasn’t related by blood, but it felt just the same.
Mr. Ashcroft had been a comrade of Elian’s real grandfather, and after the grandfather’s death, he had taken his surname in honor of him, treating Elian as his own grandson.
So, their bond was as close as any blood relation.
Elian cleared his throat and said earnestly, “Grandpa, don’t believe everything you hear. You can’t take every rumor seriously.”
Mr. Ashcroft gave him a sharp look before explaining what had happened that day.
“Today, I don’t know what came over me, but I suddenly fell ill while on the road. I didn’t have my medication with me, and it hit fast. If it weren’t for that young lady, you might be looking at my corpse right now,” Mr. Ashcroft stated calmly.
His medication was with another guard, who wasn’t with him because he was visiting relatives in Zephra. He was due back tomorrow, and traditionally, Mr. Ashcroft wouldn’t have had an episode today.
Elian’s expression changed as he heard this.
“Louis!”
The commanding tone made Louis stand up straight.
“Where’s the medication?”
Louis replied quietly, “With Kevin. He went to visit family and won’t be back until tomorrow. Besides, according to the usual pattern, Mr. Ashcroft never relapses this quickly.”
“Alright. It’s my fault. It came out of nowhere; no one could have predicted it,” Mr. Ashcroft waved it off and continued. “But I must say, in all these years, it’s the first time I’ve seen my condition relieved without medication.”
Mr. Ashcroft couldn’t help but praise, “She used just a single needle, and I felt better. She even said I wouldn’t have another episode for at least two months. So young, yet so skilled in medicine.”
At Mr. Ashcroft’s words, Elian’s brow furrowed unwittingly. “A needle?”
Those words brought Miranda’s face to Elian’s mind, and he recalled the time she had administered acupuncture to Anna at the Lancaster family’s estate.
“Yes, she’s the first to alleviate my symptoms using this method.”
Elian narrowed his eyes slightly. “Do you know her name? What does she look like?”
Mr. Ashcroft, seeing Elian’s interest, thought back carefully. “She’s about five–seven, wearing a hat, quite pretty.
Big eyes, seemed a bit uninterested in conversation. As for her name,”
He glanced at Louis, who cleared his throat. “She called herself the Good Samaritan.”
Elian remained silent. He already knew who it was.
Mr. Ashcroft chuckled, “Quite an interesting girl. Very helpful.”
Elian frowned. “Helpful? Did she say anything when she helped?”
She wasn’t known for being particularly altruistic.
Mr. Ashcroft, unaware of the full situation, looked to Louis for an answer.
Louis then said, “She told us not to block the road.”
00:20
Chapter 37
Elian’s lips twitched into a knowing smile. Though she was a healer, she wasn’t one to help out of mere goodwill.
Mr. Ashcroft’s tone grew somber. “I wish I could see her again. If she can suppress the symptoms, maybe she can cure it? If she can cure me, others like me might have hope too.”
As he spoke, a trace of sadness touched his features. Elian seemed to remember something from the past, and his eyes darkened.
Sensing a shift, Mr. Ashcroft changed the subject. “Alright, let’s not dwell on it. I’m here to take a breather and to see you. And I have a message; people from Virell want to know when you’ll be coming back.”
