I was actually Shiloh! The same Shiloh whom Andrew had reached out to back in Jayrodale, a mysterious figure from an ancient Torasesy lineage. Technically, she was a centuries-old nun, but her youthful appearance was that of a vibrant girl in her early 20s. She stood there now, fists clenched, glaring daggers at Andrew. Lauren and Francesca did not quite know what to do. Francesca, being more familiar with Shiloh, quickly forced a smile. “Shiloh, what are you doing here? Weren’t you in Jayrodale, staying at the Moonlit Apothecary with Grandpa Cedric?”
Shiloh’s face was icy. “Yeah, I was with Cedric, staying at Moonlit Apothecary.” She turned to Andrew and added, “But you promised to help cure my memory loss and immortality issue. It’s been so long. Do you have any updates?”
Andrew smiled bitterly. “Shiloh, both of your conditions are very unusual. For now, I don’t have any good solutions.”
Shiloh looked somewhat angry. “So you’ve made no progress at all? I trusted you completely back then, but I never expected you to lie to me!”
Andrew replied seriously, “Shiloh, I’ve never lied to you. I did promise to search for treatments for your two conditions, but you should understand that your illnesses are bizarre. There’s no way to find good solutions in such a short time.”
Shiloh looked displeased. “When you all left Jayrodale to come to this Blumedale place, why didn’t you take me with you?”
Andrew chuckled helplessly. “You were settled in well at Moonlit Apothecary, and I thought that was fine. After coming to Blumedale, things kept happening one after another, so I didn’t think to disturb you.”
Shiloh was still unhappy and questioned him. “Well, now that I’ve tracked you down, you can take responsibility for me, right?”
Andrew felt his head aching. “Since you’re already here, of course, I’ll take responsibility for you. From now on, I’ll cover all your food, clothing, housing, and transportation!”
Shiloh’s expression finally softened somewhat. “At least you still have some conscience. My memory has recovered a bit more, and I’ve remembered some things and information, but it is very scattered, and I can’t sort it out myself. I thought of you first, so that’s why I came to bother you.”
Francesca was delighted. “Shiloh, your memory has recovered somewhat? That’s wonderful!”
Shiloh nodded and glanced down at her feet. Andrew followed her gaze downward and immediately froze. She was wearing a pair of sneakers that had been worn through completely, with both her big toes poking out.
“How did you get to Blumedale? Did you actually walk here?” Andrew could not help but ask.
Shiloh nodded. “That’s right, I walked here. It didn’t take that much time—just three days. If I hadn’t gotten lost, it wouldn’t have even taken three days!”
Francesca looked sympathetic. “Don’t you have money? Why didn’t you take a bus or train?”
Shiloh shook her head. “I don’t have much money left, so I couldn’t bear to spend it. Besides, I found something good for Andrew back in Jayrodale, and that cost me quite a bit of money too.”
As she spoke, she pulled out a piece of rough cloth. When the cloth was unwrapped, it revealed a dark, knotted root inside.
“It’s actually a thousand-year-old Witch’s Coil!” Andrew immediately recognized it.
He knew this item would indeed cost a lot of money and was extremely rare.
Shiloh handed the Witch’s Coil over to him. “Here, take it. I know you can use it for your alchemy. Consider it a gift—me joining you in Blumedale and all.”
Francesca was deeply touched. “Shiloh, you’re incredible. You’ve literally walked here with your shoes falling apart and still brought Andrew a gift?”
Shiloh rolled her eyes. “Don’t overthink it. It’s not like I care about him or anything. It’s just that he’s got the brains. I’m relying on him to figure out my condition and maybe my past.”
Andrew accepted the root with a rare hint of guilt in his heart.
Shiloh was not stupid; she was just incredibly pure. With no memories of her past and no experience in the real world, she often acted in ways others found hard to understand. Like deciding to walk all the way to Blumedale using nothing but her own two feet, because she believed in him. That belief alone meant he owed it to her to help her recover what she had lost.
“Fran, Lauren, take Shiloh inside. Let her shower and get cleaned up. Once you’re all freshened up, we’ll head out for dinner to welcome her to Blumedale,” Andrew said gently.