Chapter 1538

He looked normal, even without his mask. Aside from his pale complexion and slight weakness, he seemed unchanged. The plague's rapid and ferocious spread belied the apparent mildness of his infection. News reports described relentless coughing, sometimes bloody, along with other unspecified symptoms. Alexander's case, however, appeared far less severe.

"Stick out your tongue!" she ordered again.

Alexander was momentarily startled, then chuckled. "Look at you! Thorough, aren't you?"

"Enough nonsense! Stick out your tongue!" Lily's face was grave, her demeanor that of a stern physician.

With a fond smile, Alexander obeyed, extending his tongue. It appeared coated in a thick layer of mucus, showing tooth marks at the edges and white patches in the center. Despite years of studying medicine with Dominic, this was Lily's first attempt at diagnosing a patient. Previously, her experience was limited to observation and assisting Dominic, or treating minor ailments—nothing as serious as the plague. She likely wouldn't have intervened if it weren't for Alexander.

"How is it? Can you save me?" he asked half-jokingly, noticing her serious expression.

"How did you get the plague? Do you feel any other discomfort?" Lily asked gently, sitting beside him.

The smile vanished from his face. He couldn't recall. "I'm not sure. After going to Burnwken, I barely left. I mostly stayed at the factory, avoiding contact with outsiders. You know the situation there—with the war, it's unsafe to go out. Then, people at the factory started coughing; some had fevers, and many felt lethargic. I also started feeling unwell."

"So, it came on suddenly?"

Lily found his account consistent with news reports, but preferred his firsthand experience to media accounts.

"Yes! Later, my symptoms worsened, and I couldn't get out of bed. The war disrupted communications, so I couldn't contact you. Did I worry you?" Even then, his concern for her was evident.

Lily quickly shook her head. "It's fine. So, how did you get here?"

"It was a coincidence. I knew Greg a while back and gave him this place. I didn't expect I'd need it," he sighed. Everything had been arranged in secret.

Lily was surprised. "You gave this to him?"

"Yes," Alexander nodded. "I discovered it accidentally when my master brought me here for training. It was deserted then—a good place for self-cultivation, I thought. I renovated it. Then I met Greg..."

He paused, placing a hand on his chest, taking a deep breath to compose himself. Lily waited patiently, watching as he regulated his breathing, closing his eyes briefly before opening them again.

"He had nowhere to go, and he didn't want to live in the city. This was perfect, so I gave it to him."

"So, when you fell ill, this is where you came for quiet recuperation?" she asked.

Alexander nodded. "Few people here; low risk of the plague spreading. And it's remote—harder for people to find me."