Chapter 172 - The Young Girl from the Past

Zenia looked at the teary-eyed old man. She was puzzled at the Baron's reaction.

Baron Mion walked slowly toward Zenia and looked into her eyes, "It's really you. I'm so glad that you look fine."

"Baron Mion, do you know me?"

"Of course! Your eyes are still the same, I am not mistaken. You're that young girl that I gave artificial skin."

Zenia couldn't believe it, and she removed her face veil, "It's me, doctor, I couldn't believe that I will be able to find you."

"Yes, how is it? The artificial skin must be peeling off. You have grown quite a lot, and I bet no one has learned how to repair it."

"Yes, it's beginning to peel off. Some parts of the scar are already showing."

It was also one of the reasons that Zenia could not see herself being intimate with Vaughn. She could not imagine and did not dare to think Vaughn's reaction the moment he sees the scar.

Vaughn remained silent. He could not find the right words to say to Zenia at the moment. He heard about the fire incident before, but he still could not believe that it left a huge scar on Zenia's body. He avoided discussing it with her for fear of bringing up unpleasant memories.

He wanted to say, 'It doesn't matter what happened to you, I will always love you and will always stay with you forever.'  

Not far from them, Lewis and Meredith kept staring at Zenia. When Vaughn turned his head to their direction, he saw the blushing face of Lewis while staring at Zenia. Vaughn felt annoyed.

'Why did this little devil removed her face veil?'

He went to where Lewis was standing and dragged him away from Zenia. Lewis was startled but did not protest.

He simply smiled and whispered to Vaughn, "That's why you want your wife to wear a face veil."

"Shut up."

Meredith went to Zenia and her grandfather.

"Beautiful sister, let me fix it for you. I will learn everything from grandfather and help you."

"It doesn't matter. I am just waiting for it to peel off completely. Thank you for your concern, my little friend," she turned to Baron Mion and continued, "We need to get out of here, Baron Mion. I'm afraid that someone might trace your whereabouts to this place. Pack your things and leave no evidence that you have been in this place."

"I prefer to be called Doctor Hugo, young lady."

"You may call me Zenia, doctor."

"Beautiful sister, you're the Crown Princess. It would be weird if grandfather calls you Zenia. Let us call you Crown Princess."

"Yes, that's right. It's best if we call you that way, Your Highness."

"Do as you wish, but you two need to hurry. Let me help you."

"Don't…"

"Now is not the time for formalities. We are pressing for time."

Doctor Hugo and Meredith did not argue anymore and packed their things. They also burned the things that they no longer need and buried the ashes.

"Should we burn the house as well?"

"Don't! If someone investigates it, they might find out the time it was burned down. They will only become more suspicious and might investigate it."

"We will do as you say, Crown Princess."

Vaughn accompanied Lewis to prevent him from getting close to Zenia. They waited by the carriage. Lewis kept smiling and did not say anything else to Vaughn.

Doctor Hugo seemed to have forgotten that he was just a few steps away from meeting his maker when he walked to the carriage while carrying a light parcel. Vaughn and Lewis saw that Zenia was carrying a big load, but she was carrying it with ease. Zenia was wearing her face veil again, but Lewis could clearly see the face he saw a while back.

He beat Vaughn to it and ran to Zenia to help her carry her things.

"I am fine Head Pharmacist. I can put it in the carriage without trouble."

"No, Your Highness. This is a man's job. Let me carry it for you."

Zenia looked at Vaughn and asked with her eyes, 'Is it okay to let him carry this load?'

Vaughn answered back, 'Let him. He wants to carry it, let him do it. He even exerted some effort to beat me to it.'

"Well, if you insist," Zenia said politely and put down the big load that she was carrying.

Lewis smiled deviously at Vaughn. Doctor Hugo and Meredith boarded their carriage. Vaughn and Zenia boarded the carriage as well and waited for Lewis. Vaughn told Zenia that the Royal Apothecary was just a temporary residence for Doctor Hugo and Meredith. They still should move the good doctor somewhere safer.

Lewis was grinning when he picked the big load. He tried to lift it up, but he couldn't. He was sure that Zenia was carrying it with ease, how come it wouldn't budge when he tried to lift it up. He looked at the carriage that the couple was occupying and looked at the heavy load again.

'What kind of a woman is your wife, Crown Prince?'

Lewis was left with no other choice but to inform Vaughn and Zenia to go ahead, and they would follow behind.

"Are you sure you will be fine on your own?" Zenia asked with concern.

"Yes, Your Highness. I just need to discuss something first with Baron Mion."

"Oh, he prefers to be called Doctor Hugo."

"I will keep that in mind. You should go now."

Vaughn instructed the coachman to go, and they left. Lewis painstakingly boarded the content of the big load, piece by piece, in the carriage. Meredith noticed that Lewis was taking so long. When she lifted the curtain, she saw him carrying the items one by one.

"What are you doing?"

"Can't you see that I am loading your stuff in the carriage?"

"One at a time? But, the beautiful sister carried it without trouble. Why are you so weak?"

Lewis looked at Meredith and said nothing. He just wanted to be a gentleman in front of Zenia, but he never thought that he would turn out to be a weak man.

"Meredith, stop pestering the gentleman and behave."

"Humph!"

Lewis wanted to cry but couldn't. He would never ever display acts of chivalry ever again, especially when there were ladies.

Vaughn and Zenia had almost reached the Royal Apothecary. They were discussing the perfect hiding place for Doctor Hugo. Vaughn could tell that his wife put great importance on the doctor who was able to help her when she was young. He had no idea what Zenia had been through, but it was almost impossible that she did not worry about the scar on her back.

"Doctor Hugo must have been poisoned, and he is undernourished. Why don't we call in Doctor Odessa to have him checked?"

"Hmm, I will send someone to fetch Doctor Odessa and tell her to see the Head Pharmacist. That way, no outsiders will suspect anything."

The Royal Couple had been waiting in Lewis' office for half an hour when Lewis and the others finally arrived. Vaughn already instructed a shadow guard to deliver the message to Odessa.

Lewis was too exhausted from the journey. He swore that he would never ever be swooned by beauty again. That would be his first and last attempt at being chivalrous.

Vaughn could not help but grin. He knew exactly what happened when they left. He was aware of Zenia's strength, but he was still much stronger than his wife.

'You don't even know martial arts, and you have the gall to compete with me in front of my wife?'

"Head Pharmacist, did something happen along the way? Why did you just arrive now, and you look terrible?"

"Beautiful sister, he…umph, umph," Meredith's mouth was forcefully blocked by Lewis' hand.

"Crown Princess, we encountered a slight mishap on the way here. Everything is alright now." Lewis explained and gave Meredith a warning look before he released her.

Lewis walked to his chair while massaging his lower back. Doctor Hugo sat on the couch and raised his legs on the table. It was the first time in many years that he was able to sit on a comfortable seat again. He immediately dozed off.

Zenia saw the sleeping Doctor Hugo and told Meredith to get a quilt to cover her grandfather. When did the Anisens meet him? She was certain that they did not find him in Tissuria. If it wasn't in Venetia, it must be in Prazia. She would get her answers later.

Vaughn and Lewis were discussing the poison in Doctor Hugo's body. Lewis already noticed that the poison may have already reached the doctor's bones.

"What do you think about the poison in Doctor Hugo's body?"

"It was slow-acting, but the effects are far worse than the fast-acting ones. He might have endured all these years because of the elixirs and potions that he had been taking. However, he is already old now, and his body might not be able to endure the damage. We need to find a way to flush out the poison."

"Do you have anything that can help him?"

"I have something milder but gives the same effects of what he is currently taking. I already asked Meredith about Doctor Hugo's medications."

"Head Pharmacist, Doctor Odessa is here to see you," Lewis' assistant informed him as soon as Odessa arrived in the Royal Apothecary.

"I will go see her," Zenia jumped from her seat and walked to the front door to greet Odessa.

The good doctor recognized Zenia's silhouette immediately. She was already smiling as she waited for Zenia to come closer.

"You're also here. I guess you're the one who summoned me to come."

"Yes, I asked the Crown Prince for that," Zenia returned the smile and took Odessa's hand and said, "Come, I need you to see someone. I owe him a lot."

Odessa just let Zenia take her.

'If I have a sister, I hope she is similar to this Crown Princess.'

Doctor Hugo was still sleeping when they arrived. Odessa noticed Vaughn and bowed her head.

"Greetings, Your Highness," she turned to Lewis, "Hello, Lewis it's been a long time since we have seen each other."

"Hello, Odessa."

Lewis was cold toward Odessa, and it puzzled Zenia. They were obviously acquainted with each other, and they acted like…former lovers.

Odessa went to see the sleeping doctor and examined him immediately. Zenia looked at Odessa who did not seem to be affected by Lewis' presence. But, it was not the same with Lewis. Odessa would look at Lewis' direction from time to time and smile. He kept avoiding meeting Odessa's gaze, but he could not help not to look.

'Had he been rejected by Odessa before?'

Vaughn walked behind Zenia who did not notice her husband because she was busy observing the two people.

Vaughn whispered in Zenia's ear, "Odessa and Lewis were arranged to be married before, but Odessa refused when it was time for them to be married."

Zenia looked at her husband and then gave Lewis a disapproving look.

'You want to steal my sister-in-law?'

"Relax. No one will steal your sister-in-law. Lewis did not want to be married to the junior tigress either. But, he still suffered from the mockery of others. He was still too young then, and he decided to spend his life in the Royal Apothecary."

"Their relationship is that bad?"

"No."

Lewis busied himself with paperwork while Odessa continued to examine Doctor Hugo who was already awake. Vaughn and Zenia heard Odessa asking some questions to Doctor Hugo. Meredith looked on and would sometimes bother Lewis with something.

Vaughn pulled Zenia away from the rest of them and continued telling the story of Lewis and Odessa. He was afraid that the feeling of discomfort that Lewis had due to Odessa's presence might worsen when they heard him recounting their story to Zenia. But, he wanted to tell no matter what.