"You're leading a team even if you're useless yourself?" The person who'd interrupted Aria was Constantine, who'd come late. His arm was still limp even now, all thanks to Aria.Constantine sneered coldly, looking at Aria. "Your family is absolutely laughable, Malcolm. Did you really bring some random nobody here?"Malcolm was unperturbed. "And is that any of your business?"Constantine didn't respond to that. Instead, he said to Taron, "Don't say that I didn't remind you, Taron. You shouldn't hang out with good-for-nothing like them all the time. Look carefully at her. Who is she?"Taron had never liked how arrogant he was, so he retorted, "Like I give a damn about that. I don't make friends based on their family background.""That's why I said that you're stupid. You can't tell a pill from another, that's fine, but you don't even know that she's your ex-cousin-in-law." Constantine pointed at Aria. "She's the fake daughter who was kicked out by the Kent family!"What?Taron was
Aria hoisted her wooden chair up and went over to another spot. She sat down again, her legs crossed as she said coolly, "Where did this ugly mug come from? You sure do talk a lot."Ugly mug?A dead silence filled the hall. The expression on Christian's face sure was something. Even his lips were trembling as he gaped in disbelief. "What did you just say?""I said you're ugly." Aria chuckled nonchalantly. "Hear that? If you didn't hear me clearly, maybe consider getting your ears treated.""You little…" Christian's chest heaved in anger. Almost everyone wore expressions of shock. Lily was especially taken aback. Her hands were clasped together as she frowned. What was that?Didn't Aria have feelings for Christian? She'd witnessed how Aria had put herself down just for Christian. So why was this happening now?Lily took a deep breath. Christian looked like a clown still stuck onstage. "Did you forget how you begged me just to look at you for a second, Aria?""No woman i
"Thank you for coming despite how busy you are, everyone. I'm very thankful."Lorelia walked down the stairs, clad in a black evening gown. She raised her head and looked at the people in the hall, her bearing intimidating. Malcolm took a deep breath abruptly. "It's been a long time since I'd last seen her, but she's as formidable as always."Aria raised a brow. "You know her?""She's the eldest daughter of the York family. She joined the army before, but I think she's managing a business now," Malcolm added, "You'd better not let loose in front of her. She can send you flying with just a punch."Aria heeded his advice. She lowered her head and chewed on another piece of candy, looking innocuous. Lorelia was a beautiful woman with sharp and deep-set features. It was obvious that she'd been taught well despite her fierce appearance. "My family has prepared a small gift for everyone." She clapped her hands, and a gift box rose beside everyone's seats. The box's contents were
"Yes, it's elvenroot," Aria said, "When you store elvenroot, you should avoid exposing it to strong sunlight, and the temperature shouldn't be higher than 68 degrees Fahrenheit. It's 75 degrees outdoors now. This is also when the UV radiation is the most intense."I'm storing the herb inside my bag so as to preserve its medicinal value. Does a member of the Gunther family not even possess such basic medical knowledge?"The room erupted in chatter the moment she said that. Constantine was still sneering at her. "As if I'd buy any of that bull—""Be quiet, Constantine!" Salome barked.Constantine was stunned. He turned sideways to look at the expression on Salome's face and also at everyone's gazes that were focused on him. Panic showed on his face. Had Aria really hit the nail on the head?Someone laughed, saying, "I expected nothing less from Georgina's student. She has a good intuition when it comes to identifying herbs." The speaker was Wendell Claude, the head of the Clau
"Please enter, everyone!" Lorelia gestured with a flourish. The walls of the hall seemed to ripple for a moment, then receded to reveal several ornately decorated consultation rooms.The doctors would have to form groups and treat those patients. Salome was the first to make a move. She was eager to show everyone what the Gunther family was capable of, especially to Aria. All the patients the York family had found were difficult to treat. Every group of doctors who had entered the consultation rooms stayed a long time in there and came out looking solemn. The doctors from the Gunther and Short families were the only exceptions; they came out with smiles on their faces. Even Zephyr found it somewhat difficult. Fortunately, he also managed to issue a prescription. Many doctors couldn't even figure out what illnesses those patients were afflicted with. They came out muttering under their breaths like students who'd just been done with their exams."What illness is the third pa
"We're done here." Aria grabbed her bag. The patient sounded skeptical. "That's all? You haven't even asked me what other symptoms I have aside from a headache and if I'm suffering from any pre-existing conditions. "You didn't even look at the scans on the table before making such a hasty conclusion. That's a bit ridiculous, isn't it?"Aria returned the pen to the pen holder on the table and smiled. "You're fine. I don't need to ask any more questions."Shiloh pulled her back, though. "Wait, we've only been here for five minutes. You should inspect him for a while longer. Look at the other groups! They spent 20 minutes treating the first patient alone!""That's not important." Aria pressed the bell decisively, confirming that they were done. The people outside the consultation rooms were still discussing the patients' illnesses. They laughed uproariously when they saw Aria's group emerge so soon. "They were in there for such a short time! Did they fail to identify the answer
"Heartbound Hall!" Lorelia announced, looking at Aria with a smile. Upon hearing the results, everyone in the hall fell silent, their eyes wide in disbelief. "Heartbound Hall's in the first place? That's impossible!"Norman's face darkened. Salome couldn't help but lunge forward for the sheet of paper, which she opened only to see the two words "Heartbound Hall" on it.Lily's smile disappeared from her face. She couldn't believe it. Was Aria really a skilled doctor?Everyone's gazes fell on Aria, Malcolm, and Shiloh instantly. As someone decidedly unskilled in medicine, Shiloh had never been the subject of such attention. Startled, he stopped in the middle of yawning.Malcolm was dumbfounded. They placed first? Really?Aria was the only one who remained calm throughout. Salome couldn't handle losing to a nobody under the gazes of everyone else. She crumpled the sheet of paper in her fist and steadied her breathing before asking, "As a doctor, it's probably not appropriate for
"Grandpa." Lorelia stepped forward.A group of black-clad bodyguards stepped forward, forming an orderly line beside the old man. The old man had wrapped bandages around his head as part of his act. He yanked them off, giving Aria a meaningful look before turning to everyone. As expected of a noble family, Titus was sharply intimidating. His gaze made everyone's heart sink."I heard all your discussions," Titus said, his gaze sharp. "Heartbound Hall unquestionably deserves first place."No one dared to voice objections when Titus spoke. Norman, who had initiated the discussion of treatment approaches, wilted under the weight of Titus's statement.Salome forced a smile. "We didn't know it was you…""None of you guessed that it was me inside, except for those three young people," Titus remarked blandly.Salome felt embarrassed, and everyone else was equally uncomfortable; they wished they could disappear. Who would have imagined that the third patient was actually Titus York, p