Chapter 336: Once Confirmed, We Take Action Immediately
“Yes,” Paige nodded, “His name is Enrico, Master. Can I cure him?”
Earl sat there and, upon hearing this, motioned for Enrico to come closer.
“…”
Enrico had never been treated like this by an elder before, almost like calling a puppy. He frowned slightly.
Before Enrico could move, Earl had already leaned forward, grabbed his wrist, and pulled him to sit on a small square stool beside him, pressing his thumb on Enrico’s pulse.
Realizing what Earl was doing, Enrico didn’t resist.
After a while, Earl retracted his hand, stroked his silver beard, and said, “It seems you and this little golden bee get along quite well.”
This was Earl’s way of affirming Paige’s work.
Paige had intentionally brought Enrico here for Earl’s assessment. Hearing these words, she felt reassured. She handed Earl a cup of tea. “Master, have some tea.”
Earl took the cup, leaned in close to her, and squinted his eyes, saying, “Paige, did you insist on healing him just because he’s good-looking? My, my, you sure put in a lot of effort for this man.”
She had knelt for days and stayed in the archives for six months. Such perseverance-just for a man.
“Thank you for appreciating my taste, Master.”
Paige pretended not to understand his teasing and responded humbly.
“Who said I appreciate it? If you didn’t have some talent, I wouldn’t have accepted you. I don’t care if the Medicine Curse Sect has a successor or not,” Earl huffed proudly.
“Yes,” Paige knew his personality and didn’t call him out on it.
Earl turned to Enrico, his face serious. “Enrico, right? When do you plan to marry our Paige?”
This sudden question left Paige stunned. Her hand trembled while pouring tea, causing it to spill over the cup’s edge.
She looked up in shock, and Enrico seemed equally taken aback, clearly not expecting Earl to say such a thing.
Seeing their reactions, Earl slammed the tea cup down heavily. “What’s with those expressions? Are you not planning to marry Paige? She’s been working tirelessly, locked in the archives and feeding the curse bugs with her blood just to cure your mental illness, and you don’t have a shred of conscience?”
In an instant, Enrico was labeled a scoundrel.
“I…”
Enrico sat there, his throat dry. He hadn’t even succeeded in getting close to Paige yet, let alone considered marriage.
Seeing Enrico’s helpless look, Paige wanted to defend him, but just as she started speaking, Earl pointed at her and said, “You, be quiet.”
“…”
Paige remained silent.
“Let me tell you, Enrico. Don’t think you can bully Paige just because she has no parents. She still has me, her master, and I’ll be here to stand up for her!”
Earl’s face was flushed with anger.
If it weren’t for the fact that Enrico had been cured by Paige, Earl would have jumped up and hit him.
“…”
Paige watched Earl, feeling moved. Although it was a bit unfair to Enrico, it felt nice to be cared for like this by an elder.
“…”
Enrico frowned. If it had been anyone else, he would have left by now, but this was Paige’s master, so he had to sit there and listen to the lecture.
Finally, Paige brought in one of Earl’s prized insect cages, housing a bug he had raised for a long time. Proud of his creation, Earl shifted the topic.
“This little bug is my healthiest one. When you get married, I’ll give it to you as a wedding gift.”
Earl boasted proudly.
Sensing that the conversation might steer back toward marriage, Paige quickly changed the subject, “By the way, Master, hasn’t it been years since any outsiders settled in River Town?”
Earl had lived there for a long time, so he would definitely know more.
“River Town is small, and the locals are fiercely protective of their heritage. They’re so afraid outsiders might take what’s theirs that they’d never let anyone settle here.”
Earl said as he played with the bugs in the cage. Suddenly, his expression shifted. “But, there was one family that settled here.”
“Really?” Paige glanced at Enrico and asked.
“It was many years ago. Some local’s relative came seeking refuge, wanting to settle down. The people of River Town were against it, but that family was wealthy and gave everyone a lot of money, so they agreed.”
Earl recalled. “That family lives up on the mountain now, and they don’t interact with anyone… Wait, why are you asking about this?”
“Just curious. Wanted to see if anyone else had settled here.”
Paige said casually, helping Earl with his bugs. Her eyes flashed with sharpness. “How much do you know about that family?”
“I know some things, but… eh, it’s better not to talk about it.” Earl sighed.
“Master, I want to hear it.” Paige wasn’t one to plead, but a simple request from her was enough to sway Earl.
He set down the insect cage and looked at her seriously. “That family always seemed suspicious to me. They were very secretive, often leaving and returning to River Town at night. I even saw guns once when I visited them for a medical call.”
“…”
River Town didn’t allow many outsiders, so it was likely they were building power outside. If that was the case, Jeremiah’s influence here wasn’t as strong as she’d thought, and she could take him down in one move. This might be easier than expected.
“What else do you know?” Enrico asked in a deep voice.
“No need for you to ask me!”
Earl glared at him, then smiled warmly at Paige, saying, “Not much else. They don’t celebrate River Town’s festivals and avoid crowds. Most people have never even seen what they look like.”
“…”
Enrico didn’t feel like talking anymore.
Paige pulled out her phone and showed Earl a picture Kevin had given her of Jeremiah. “Master, does this man live with that family?”
Earl squinted to look at the photo, then nodded. “Looks like him… Wait, how do you have a picture of their family? So, you didn’t come here just to see me, huh? This was all just on the way, wasn’t it?”
He finally caught on.
“No, visiting you was the main reason. The picture was secondary.”
Paige put her phone away, feeling more confident now. It seemed their trip to River Town was the right move.Exclusive © material by Nô(/v)elDrama.Org.
Perfect.
After leaving Earl’s place, Paige and Enrico headed straight to the hotel.
In the conference room of a luxury suite, Paige opened a map of River Town and circled a location. “Nick, Rey, you’ll take some people and pose as tourists to scout the mountain. If we confirm this is our target, we’ll move in immediately.”
“Got it.”
Nick’s usual playful smile was gone as he nodded seriously.
“Do we have to move so fast?” Enrico asked in a low voice, looking at the map from his seat at the table.