Chapter 1735

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

"Okay, I trust you!" Austin nodded.

The old man checked his pulse, pondered, then left without a word.

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

He found his apprentice among the herbs, her pregnancy making squatting uncomfortable; she was bent over, carefully picking them.

"Is anything missing?" Dominic asked, unconcerned about startling her. Her sharp hearing would have detected his approach.

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

"That's untrue! Tell me what's needed. I'm not boasting, but there isn't a herb I can't find!" He couldn't bear to appear unprepared before his apprentice, especially in this meticulously cultivated garden. Any herb absent would be a true rarity.

After gathering more herbs, Lily straightened, looking at him. "Spices!"

Dominic's confidence crumbled. "Spices? Why mention spices? I don't deal with them. Why need them? Are you resuming your old business?"

Lily shook her head. "No. Other uses."

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, though he'd inadvertently admitted the relationship. "He seems stable. I checked his pulse; it's fairly stable. But that's just superficial. Inflammation remains. Untended, he'll relapse."

"So, the root cause isn't cured," Lily stated, unsurprised. "But this method seems feasible."

"Of course. Ancestral methods like these..." The old man's pride was palpable; he'd suggested this course of action. Mid-sentence, he remembered something. "You mentioned the silver needle controlling minds..."

"I haven't determined that yet; it's not solely needle-dependent. Medication's likely needed. I've analyzed the needle, but conclusions remain elusive." Shifting, Lily continued, "I may not visit often in the next few days. I'll leave your grandnephew to you. Also..."

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

Dominic found her simple statement profoundly moving. He wanted to laugh, yet his eyes welled.

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