Chapter 1735

Since Dominic had said so, Austin hoped to relax. He hadn't slept well in a long time. Even after his imprisonment, the physical torture had plagued his rest. The four hours he'd just slept were the best he'd had in ages. Waking, he felt considerably refreshed.

"Okay, I trust you!" Austin nodded.

The old man checked Austin's pulse, pondered a moment, then left without a word.

Dominic washed and disinfected his hands before going to the brightly lit backyard. The sizable herb garden was beautiful and serene, even in the darkness.

He found his apprentice crouched among the herbs. Her pregnancy made squatting difficult, so she was bent over, picking herbs.

"Is anything missing?" Dominic asked, not fearing he'd startle her; her hearing was excellent.

Lily wasn't surprised. "Almost everything's here. Even if something is missing, replacement would be difficult."

"Not true! Tell me what's lacking. I'm not boasting, but there isn't a herb I can't find!" He couldn't bear to be shown up by his apprentice, especially in his own well-stocked garden. Any herb he lacked would be a rare treasure.

After gathering more herbs, Lily straightened, looked at him, and said, "Spices!"

Dominic, previously confident, froze. "Spices? Why? You know I don't deal with them. Why do you need spices? Are you restarting your old business?"

Lily shook her head. "No. I have other uses."

After straightening, she patted her waist and asked, "How's your precious grandnephew?"

"He's not my precious grandnephew!" The old man's disdain was evident; he hadn't realized he'd admitted their relationship. "He seems stable. I checked his pulse; it's fairly steady. But that's just now. The inflammation remains; without proper care, he'll relapse."

"So, we haven't cured the root cause," Lily said, unsurprised. "But this method seems viable."

"Of course. Ancestral methods like these..." The old man swelled with pride; he'd suggested this approach. Mid-sentence, he remembered something. "You said the silver needle controls minds..."

"I haven't confirmed that, but it's not just the needles. Medication is necessary. I've analyzed the needle, but haven't concluded anything yet." Shifting, Lily continued, "I may not visit for a few days. I'll leave your grandnephew to you. Also..."

Pausing, she looked intently at him. "Take care of yourself."

Though not unusual, Dominic found her words deeply moving. Tears welled in his eyes.

He sniffed. "When did you become so empathetic? I'm not used to it!"