The Devil's Betrothed
Chapter 530: Because...We Are Friends

Chapter 530: Because...We Are Friends

Accompanied by Ken, Oriana arrived at his home. Upon entering the modest drawing room, their eyes were met with the sight of Ken’s anxious wife, Elena, standing just outside one of the rooms.

Elena hastened towards them, "Orian, you are here as well," and then looked at her husband, "Your aunt doesn’t seem well at all..."

Elena’s words trailed off as Oriana wasted no time, striding purposefully into the room where Luke stood, quietly observing a local physician attending to his mother. The physician’s worried sighs hinted at the gravity of the situation.

"How is she?" Oriana inquired, addressing the physician, who momentarily released the woman’s wrist to regard her.

"You are..."

"I’m a physician as well. Please, inform me of her condition," Oriana interjected, her gaze shifting to Luke. "I trained under Master Erich. You know I can help."

"You’re Master Erich’s student, lad?" the physician exclaimed, surprised.

"Yes, now, please allow me to examine her," Oriana insisted, prompting the physician to make room for her.

Seating herself beside the unconscious woman, Oriana gently took hold of her wrists, utilizing her powers to peer into Aunt Gwen’s body.

’Her heart, it’s in bad shape. She needs immediate treatment, or she might...’ She hurried opened her eyes and rose to her feet. "I need to fetch my master," she declared, locking eyes with Luke. "Only Master Erich possesses the skill to treat her."

"You’re correct. Even I dare not use my needles given the weakness of her heart," the other physician admitted. "Only Master Erich stands a chance."

Without waiting for Luke’s response, Oriana dashed out of the house, only to find Rafal arriving on the scene.

"Sir Ahren, we need to summon Master Erich immediately," Oriana urged.

"I’ve already sent a message on my way here from Ahrens," Rafal informed her calmly. "He will be here shortly."

Once again, Oriana was struck by Rafal’s proactive measures, arranged even before she had requested them. "Thank you, Sir Ahren," she managed, expressing her gratitude before hurrying back inside.

Seating herself beside Aunt Gwen once more, Oriana whispered reassuringly while clasping her hand, "Aunt, Master will be here soon. Do not worry."

Glancing at Luke, who remained stoic in the face of his mother’s illness, Oriana offered, "She will be fine."

In response, Luke’s gaze shifted towards his mother’s pale face, his inner turmoil concealed behind a veil of silence.

After a while of wait, Erich arrived Ken’s home. Erich send Luke out and remained there only with two physicians, Oriana and the local man.

He checked on the woman and treated her using silver needles with his skilled hands. After almost an hour they stepped out of the room, where Luke was anxiously waiting.

"How is mother?" he asked Erich.

Finally Oriana felt this man had not turned mute during the time they were apart. Since the moment they met at Ahrens, all he did was to listen to her and stare at her, with no response at all. Made her wonder- What was he even made of? When it comes to being annoyingly quiet, Luke was worse of all, the king of dead silence.

"Her heart is weak, and I’ve done my best to alleviate the blockage in the crucial blood vessel," Erich explained. "However, we cannot address everything at once. For now, she is stable, and she must rest. We will continue this treatment regimen alongside medication, and she should recover in due time. Orian knows which medicines to prepare for her. I will leave that to him."

Luke nodded, retrieving a pouch of coins from his pocket. "Thank you for coming and aiding my mother. Please accept this as a token of gratitude. Let me know if..."

"There’s no need for this," Erich interjected, declining the offering. "I never charge such amounts, and besides, I wouldn’t accept a single coin from Orian’s family. Having him as my apprentice is already a blessing."

"He’s not our family," Luke insisted. "We were just neighbors. Please accept this, or I’ll feel indebted."

Oriana gazed at Luke in disbelief. ’Not family?’ Technically, they weren’t related by blood, but the bond she shared with his family transcended mere proximity. Did all the care he showed towards her boil down to mere neighborly duty? Or was his statement a reflection of anger, stemming from her deception?

Erich recognized the stubbornness and pride in Luke’s eyes, so he relented. "Alright, but I’ll only accept what I usually charge," he accepted the pouch and selected a few coins. After counting what he needed, he returned the remainder to Luke. "I’ll be here tomorrow at the same time to continue her treatment."

"Thank you, Master," Luke acknowledged and led his way out.

Erich departed with the knight he arrived with, leaving Oriana behind. Luke glanced at Rafal, acknowledging his presence but opting not to engage in conversation, before reentering the house.

"Sir Ahren, please wait a moment," Oriana requested, then entered the house where Ken and Elena were in conversation with Luke.

"...Don’t worry about work. I can lend you money for a while. You should focus on your mother," Ken was saying.

"Your brother is right, Luke," Elena chimed in.

Luke remained silent, returning to his mother’s side. Oriana followed him into the room.

"Luke, Ken is right. You should..."

"Thank you for helping my mother," Luke interjected, not even sparing her a glance. "Don’t worry, I won’t reveal your past identity to anyone. You don’t have to risk disguising yourself as a man to come here."

Oriana was taken aback by his assumption. "Luke, that’s not why I’m here."

"Unless you’re in trouble and need help, don’t seek me out," he continued, his tone firm.

Oriana refused to be brushed aside, stepping forward and defiantly taking a seat facing him. "You have to let me explain everything."

Luke met her gaze, his expression resolute. "Why is it necessary to explain anything to me?"

"Because..." Oriana faltered, grappling for the right words. "...we’re friends."

He stared at her, his silence palpable, but eventually responded, "I understand. You can leave now."

"No, you haven’t heard the full story of what happened and how I ended up here. You need to give me a chance to explain," Oriana insisted, her determination unwavering. "Whether you want it or not, I have to do it."

"My cousin and his wife are outside," Luke reminded her, indicating that their conversation could potentially be overheard.

Despite his cold demeanor, Oriana sensed his underlying concern. "You work at Ahrens, I’ll find you there," she declared, rising to her feet. "Take care of your aunt."

Luke remained silent as she left. Though unsatisfied with the outcome, Oriana felt a glimmer of relief that he had at least acknowledged her. She resolved to fully explain everything to him during their next encounter, but for now, she had to hurry back to her grandfather, who might wake up again at any moment.