- 6 weeks ago
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00:00The day Felix Reed came home in triumph, I showed up in my wedding dress to welcome him.
00:05But instead, he brought back an extraordinary woman, scalpel in hand, able to open skulls and slice through bellies like
00:13it was nothing.
00:14She could pull a medical kit out of thin air and heal anyone's pain.
00:18The Emperor himself gave her the title of Divine Miracle Doctor.
00:23Everyone, from commoners to the high and mighty, adored her, and even my brother, Ridge Spence, was willing to serve
00:31at her feet.
00:32All across the land, not a single soul dared to question her authority.
00:38But me, I just had to be the one who didn't know my place.
00:41I actually saved someone she'd already announced incurable.
00:45When Ridge showed up with his men to arrest me, I had just finished getting his medicine ready.
00:50Ridge, if you take this, you'll be cured for good.
00:53You won't have to worry about your illness ever again.
00:56I looked up at him, my heart brimming with anticipation.
01:00Three days ago, he told me his old leg injury was acting up again and asked me to get him
01:05some medicine.
01:06It was the first time he'd come to me since we fell out.
01:09I'd never forget how, ten years ago, Ridge struggled up that mountain with his injured legs to bring me home.
01:17If it hadn't been for him, I'd have been nothing but the jinxed one, abandoned by the Spence family.
01:23He was the only family I had, and I could never turn my back on the bond we shared.
01:29Even when every pharmacy in Capatio was shut down for inspections, and there was nowhere to buy medicine, I agreed
01:35without a second thought when he asked.
01:37I went out into the mountains myself to pick herbs for him.
01:41My hands were still bleeding from the thorns that had pierced them.
01:45My legs were so badly hurt from the fall that I could barely stand, but I still forced a smile
01:51and brought him the medicine, standing as tall as I could.
01:54But Ridge didn't even reach for it.
01:57He just looked at me with cold, indifferent eyes.
02:00It finally hit me, and I looked past Ridge to see what was happening behind him.
02:06There were officials from the Ministry of Justice, and there was Esme, her smile blooming like a flower, strolling over
02:13with the royal dragon guards flanking her.
02:15A month ago, Esme, the Divine Miracle Doctor, petitioned the emperor to purge those unscrupulous doctors who used the guise
02:24of medicine to exploit and harm people.
02:27The first to be arrested was a charlatan priest at Kinvidor Church in Novigin, who boasted a secret recipe for
02:34helping women conceive.
02:35Every woman who went to him ended up with a child, but the truth was, every Sonale one of those
02:42kids was his own.
02:44The second to be arrested was a clinic doctor from Sarovia.
02:49His prescriptions were so expensive that people went broke just trying to afford them.
02:55He couldn't even remember a single line from classic medical texts.
02:59And lucky me, I was the third one to get caught up in all this.
03:03Sierra, you've been accused of faking medical skills, cheating people, and putting lives at risk.
03:11Dr. Warner, Lord Spades, it's her!
03:14She conned me out of ten towels of silver for one dose of medicine, and it ruined me!
03:20The old lady wailed.
03:22I frowned.
03:23I recognized her.
03:25She was Paisley Wyatt, Wallace Wyatt's mother from East V.
03:28A month ago, Wallace was covered head to toe in bloody scabs, and no doctor would touch his case.
03:35When she begged me for help, she looked just as pitiful as she did for the moment.
03:40I knitted my brows at Paisley, but she wouldn't meet my gaze.
03:43She just kept her head bowed.
03:45To anyone watching, it must have looked like I was intimidating her.
03:50Esme gently patted Paisley's hand, reassuring her.
03:53Don't be afraid.
03:54The miracle doctor's hall will stand up for you.
03:57Ridge turned to look at me, his eyes full of anger and disappointment.
04:02He took the medicine I'd made for him and handed it to Esme himself.
04:06Wallace medicine is finished, but this is the one she made for my leg.
04:10If you want to know if she's really a doctor, test this.
04:14Ridge said, coldly.
04:15My heart dropped into a frozen pit.
04:18So, you were never sick?
04:21Ridge didn't answer.
04:23Just then, Felix, the warlord and commander of the Royal Dragon Guards, strode in.
04:28Dr. Warner, could you please test this medicine for me too?
04:32Felix said, his voice calm but commanding.
04:34He pulled out a box, and inside lay a single black pill.
04:39That was the antidote I'd made just for him.
04:41A few days ago, he told me his old poison was flaring up again,
04:46and asked me for it.
04:48So, you weren't sick either?
04:50I asked, the realization hitting me like a punch to the gut.
04:55A hollow, hopeless laugh escaped me.
04:58Even the ones closest to me ended up betraying me.
05:02The test results came back quickly.
05:04Both medicines, one for the leg and one for the do's,
05:07so the same ingredients and beaties.
05:09Esme said, her voice trembling with disbelief.
05:12I may not be an expeditional medicine,
05:14but even I know that you're supposed to use different prescriptions for the same illness,
05:18so for different ones, it even be cunning.
05:21You don't even understand basic medical knowledge,
05:23and you've been getting shibs to vouch for you,
05:25hyping yourself up as some miracle doctor everywhere.
05:29Sierra, have you lost your mind?
05:31You're recklessly, recklessly, you're merns, you're benned.
05:34What's so shocking?
05:36Weren't you all already aware I was using the same ingredients and recipe?
05:40I said, a bitter laugh escaping me.
05:42I really felt like laughing.
05:44Funny how the moment someone accused me,
05:47they just happened to have two batches of medicine they'd tricked out of me,
05:50all ready to use as evidence.
05:53They'd made up their minds.
05:54This whole thing was for show,
05:56to convince the crowd and make it look legit.
05:59Esme, Ridge and Felix all had dark looks on their faces.
06:03Esme's lips twitched,
06:05and she put on this saintly, holier-than-thou face,
06:08as she looked at me and said,
06:10I know you're not doing all this for money or fame.
06:13You're just jealous that I get all this respect and admiration.
06:17You want Ridge to be proud of you,
06:19and you want Felix to fall for you,
06:22so you're plotting to take me down.
06:25I totally got it.
06:27Girls like you,
06:28always caught up in your little crushes and personal drama,
06:31are the reason the household is always a mess.
06:34We women should think bigger.
06:37Just like men do.
06:39Care about the world, not just ourselves.
06:42That's the only way things will ever get better.
06:45Sierra, you're completely off base.
06:47Ridge and Felix's affection for Esme
06:50was written all over their faces.
06:52She seemed to glow with a gentle yet powerful aura,
06:56drawing everyone in.
06:57I bit down on my lip,
06:59a storm of emotions.
07:01Swirling inside me.
07:02Jealous?
07:04Resentful?
07:04Maybe both.
07:06The first time I met Esme,
07:07was the day Felix came back as a hero.
07:10But Felix didn't even spare me a glance.
07:12He just held Esme's hand,
07:14making it clear to everyone,
07:16that he'd protect her forever.
07:18Overnight,
07:19I became the laughing stock of Capatio.
07:21When I returned to Spence Mansion,
07:23I fell sick.
07:25My fever burned for three days straight,
07:27and wouldn't break.
07:28Back then,
07:29Ridge was the kind of brother anyone would wish for.
07:32He barged into Felix's mansion,
07:34demanding to know why I'd spent five years turning away suitors
07:38and waiting for him,
07:39only to end up an old maid.
07:42But Felix just shrugged and said,
07:44We never had a matchmaker never made any promises,
07:46and I never asked her to wait five years for me.
07:49Yeah,
07:50he never actually said he loved me out loud.
07:52All he did,
07:53was sneak over my garden wall,
07:55right before heading off to war,
07:57and press a necklace into my hand.
07:58He said,
07:59Sierra,
08:00five years.
08:01Just five years,
08:02and I'll come back for you.
08:04And right before the big battle,
08:06he sent me a blood-stained letter,
08:08which read,
08:09If I survive,
08:10will you stand atop the city wall in your wedding dress,
08:13and greet my return?
08:15That day,
08:16Ridge cut ties with him,
08:17but it didn't change a thing.
08:19So Ridge had no choice but to turn to Esme.
08:22He hoped that a powerless country girl like her,
08:25would at least have the decency to step back,
08:27and know when to bow out gracefully.
08:30Back then,
08:31Esme disguised herself as a guy,
08:33and crashed a poetry event.
08:35She recited,
08:36Shall I compare thee to a summer's day?
08:40And every guy in the room was instantly hooked.
08:43Then she quoted,
08:44She walks in beauty,
08:46like the night of cloudless climes and starry skies.
08:49And suddenly,
08:50every girl was swooning.
08:52Ridge was the quintessential scholar,
08:54cultured,
08:55unrestrained,
08:56and proud of his own charm.
08:58He stood there,
09:00utterly transfixed,
09:01as if spellbound,
09:03unable to move or look away.
09:04That day,
09:06worried he might do something crazy and wreck his future,
09:09I snuck after him,
09:10though I was burning up with fever.
09:12He sighed,
09:13Who would have thought a woman like her actually exists?
09:16At that moment,
09:17I knew,
09:19just like Felix,
09:20he was totally smitten.
09:21He stood there,
09:22at the doorway,
09:23for ages.
09:24When he finally came back to himself,
09:26and turned around,
09:27his eyes landed on me.
09:29He didn't say a word,
09:31just took me home.
09:32When we got to the door,
09:33he suddenly turned to me,
09:35and said,
09:36Lady Esme is so charming and sophisticated,
09:39no one else even comes close.
09:41And me,
09:42just some nobody,
09:44how could I ever hope to compete with her?
09:46What was Esme's secret?
09:48What kind of magic did she have,
09:50that drew everyone in?
09:52I honestly didn't know.
09:54All I knew,
09:55was that day she became an overnight sensation,
09:57and everyone started calling her,
09:59Capatio's number one genius.
10:02Every corner of the city,
10:03echoed with her words.
10:05Life,
10:06is not about the length of time we live,
10:09but why,
10:11we live it.
10:13Tea houses and music halls,
10:15were filled with the melody,
10:16of her words.
10:17My heart will go on.
10:19She totally marched to the beat of her own drum.
10:22She wore whatever she felt like,
10:24did whatever she wanted,
10:25and didn't give a damn about the rules.
10:27She called it,
10:29living life on her own terms.
10:31All the Jude kids,
10:33and high born girls,
10:34started treating her like their idol,
10:36trying to imitate her style,
10:38at every turn.
10:40She never let her maids,
10:41or servants,
10:42kneel before her.
10:43People are born equal.
10:45There's no such thing as high or low,
10:47noble or humble.
10:48Even the beggar girl I'd rescued off the streets,
10:51ended up idolizing her.
10:53But what was even more remarkable,
10:54was her extraordinary skill as a doctor.
10:57With her steady hands and a scalpel,
11:00she could open up someone's brain,
11:01and abdomen,
11:02without batting an eye.
11:03She always seemed to have a medical kit on hand,
11:06ready to ease anyone's suffering.
11:09Even the emperor,
11:10well into his fifties,
11:12found his vigor restored,
11:13by just one of her miraculous pills.
11:16With his own imperial decree,
11:18he named her,
11:19the divine miracle doctor.
11:20The imperial physicians lined up at her door,
11:24bearing extravagant gifts.
11:26Even the head of the royal hospital,
11:28humbled himself,
11:29and begged to become her disciple.
11:31For a while,
11:33Esme was absolutely untouchable,
11:35at the height of her glory.
11:37And honestly,
11:38who in their right mind,
11:39would even dream of going up against her?
11:41And as for me,
11:43I just had to be the one who didn't know my place,
11:46and ended up saving someone she'd already announced incurable.
11:49That day,
11:50Ridge stormed up to me,
11:52his face twisted,
11:53with a viciousness,
11:54I'd never seen before.
11:56Sierra,
11:57do you have to go against her?
11:58He demanded.
11:59I didn't get it.
12:01I only saved that man,
12:02because he looked so pitiful.
12:04How did that turn into me deliberately going against Esme?
12:07At that moment,
12:08it finally hit me.
12:10The Ridge,
12:11who once cared for me,
12:12who used to treat me like I mattered,
12:14was never coming back.
12:16Still,
12:17I couldn't help holding on to a bit of naive hope.
12:19When he asked me for medicine,
12:21I actually felt a rush of happiness,
12:23only to end up like this.
12:26Dr. Warner,
12:27does she really not know medicine at all?
12:30Paisley asked.
12:31Her eyes glinted with something I couldn't quite read.
12:34By then,
12:35a crowd had gathered outside my clinic.
12:37Most of them,
12:38were people I'd treated before.
12:40They all craned their necks,
12:42eager to hear Esme's final verdict on me.
12:46Of course,
12:47my assessment is never wrong.
12:49Esme Warner declared with authority.
12:52Paisley's smile finally broke free,
12:54her face lighting up with smug satisfaction.
12:57So,
12:58that means I get my ten towels of silver back,
13:01and even tenfold compensation, right?
13:04This time,
13:05Esme didn't even need to answer.
13:07Ridge,
13:08the magistrate,
13:09shot me a look,
13:10of pure disgust,
13:12before turning to the crowd.
13:13According to the new medical decree,
13:16anyone who defrauds others of their money
13:18under the guise of practicing medicine,
13:20must repay senfold.
13:22Paisley's eyes lit up with excitement,
13:24her breath coming faster.
13:26Anyone would be excited about a windfall like that.
13:29The eyes of the crowd at the door
13:31sparkled with greedy excitement.
13:33In a flash,
13:35several more people walked in.
13:36Sir,
13:37we want to accuse Sierra of cheating people
13:39and putting lives at risk.
13:40Dr. Warner couldn't cure my illness,
13:42but she made me better with just one dose.
13:45Maybe I wasn't even sick.
13:46Maybe she did something to trick me.
13:48Yeah,
13:48I remember clearly that she was there
13:50the day my son fell ill.
13:52Just as eager.
13:53I saved their lives,
13:55yet not a single person stood up for me.
13:57The moment there was profit to be made,
13:59they couldn't wait to cast me into the abyss.
14:01See?
14:02I knew Sierra's skills
14:03couldn't possibly outshine Dr. Warner's.
14:05She must have cheated somehow.
14:07God,
14:07that's cold.
14:08Someone in the crowd jeered.
14:10Ridge towered over me,
14:12his eyes icy.
14:13With witnesses and evidence in hand,
14:16Sierra,
14:17are you still going to deny it?
14:19I met his gaze,
14:21gave him a small smile,
14:22and stayed silent.
14:24Ridge was done with me.
14:26His patience had finally snapped.
14:29My clinic was shut down,
14:31and I was hauled off in a prison cart.
14:33To prove just how fair and impartial Ridge was,
14:37I was paraded down the street,
14:39alongside the other crooked doctors,
14:41made to face the judgment of the crowd.
14:43As soon as word got out,
14:45the very people I'd once saved,
14:48swarmed around my prison cart.
14:50Rotten eggs and wilted vegetables
14:52came raining down on me,
14:53like they were handing out freebies.
14:55Some people still had a shred of decency.
14:58They just watched from the crowd,
15:00not throwing anything at me.
15:02Didn't she cure your lung disease?
15:04Why aren't you speaking up for her?
15:06The new medical decree says
15:07if even one patient stands up for her,
15:09she'd get her sentence reduced.
15:11Who says she cured me?
15:13Don't drag me into this.
15:14Another person snapped back.
15:16You kept hyping up Sierra's skills.
15:19If it weren't for you,
15:20I wouldn't have bothered seeing her at all.
15:21You'd do her shocks or something?
15:23His words hit the young woman right where it hurt.
15:26Who says we're ships?
15:28We're victims too, she shot back.
15:30To make it clear she wasn't a shill,
15:32but a victim herself,
15:34she grabbed a handful of rotten vegetables
15:36and hurled them at me.
15:38I glanced back and recognized them.
15:41It was Lucia Turner standing there.
15:43Her son, Zane Turner, just five or six,
15:48stared up at her, totally confused.
15:50Mother, that's Dr. Spence.
15:53Why are they throwing things at her?
15:55Lucia gritted her teeth,
15:57her conscience nagging at her,
15:58but she couldn't risk turning the whole village against her
16:01over someone who had nothing to do with her.
16:03If she did, she and Zane couldn't get by.
16:06What doctor?
16:07If even Dr. Warner couldn't cure you,
16:09how could she possibly have done it?
16:11She must have poisoned he'd have done it.
16:12She must have poisoned you.
16:14Zane looked confused, hesitating for a moment.
16:17Come on, throw it.
16:18Don't you want to go to mission school?
16:20Don't you want to be top of your class someday?
16:22Dr. Warner is a good person.
16:24She even opened a free school for families like ours.
16:27How could she ever be wrong?
16:28I watched as Lucia twisted Zane's innocent heart bit by bit.
16:34My chest felt cold,
16:36but the more I watched,
16:38the more I just wanted to laugh.
16:40In the end,
16:42Zane finally took the wilted vegetables his mom handed him.
16:45But he was so small
16:46that he barely managed to toss the leaves,
16:48and they didn't even reach my prison cart.
16:51Lucia gave him an encouraging pat on the back,
16:54Hang on, son.
16:55Let me find you something that'll do the trick.
16:57Just then,
16:58a dog darted into the crowd,
17:00barking fiercely at everyone attacking me.
17:03It stood guard in front of my prison cart,
17:05its thin body blocking the way as best it could.
17:08I took Dexter in,
17:10when he was just astray.
17:11I'd saved so many people,
17:13but in the end,
17:14they couldn't even measure up to a dog.
17:18Look at that fat dog!
17:20Haven't had dog meat in ages!
17:23As soon as they spotted Dexter,
17:24their eyes sparkled with excitement.
17:27Simon Tate,
17:28one of the butchers I'd saved,
17:30snatched up a hefty stick right away.
17:33Another person quickly fetched a second one.
17:37My heart twisted with dread.
17:39I shouted,
17:40Dexter, run!
17:42Even though his legs shook with fear,
17:45and his tail hung low,
17:46he still stood firm,
17:48guarding me in front of the prison cart,
17:50without hesitation.
17:52The sticks rained down on him,
17:54without mercy.
17:56Dexter was quick on his feet,
17:57but there were just too many sticks,
17:59and he couldn't dodge them all.
18:01Finally,
18:02one of the sticks,
18:03struck his leg.
18:04Crack.
18:05His leg snapped.
18:07He couldn't dodge anymore.
18:09The sticks hammered down on him like a downpour,
18:11and one of his,
18:13like a doda legs,
18:14was reduced to a mangled mess.
18:16The sickening crack of breaking bones,
18:18echoed again,
18:19and again,
18:21shredding my nerves.
18:22My eyes blazed red with rage.
18:25I shouted,
18:26Stop!
18:27I had never felt this kind of fury,
18:30not even when they turned their backs on me,
18:32because my master always said,
18:35nothing in this world,
18:36was more unreliable,
18:38than the human heart.
18:39They had no right to do that.
18:41They shouldn't have gone after innocent Dexter.
18:43The mob hesitated for a split second,
18:46then all turned to stare at me.
18:47Dexter was lying there,
18:49completely motionless in a pool of blood,
18:51but even then,
18:52he struggled to raise his head to look at me.
18:55This damn muffed can really take a beating.
18:58One of them sneered.
18:59And then,
19:00another blow landed.
19:01This time,
19:03it slammed right into Dexter's head.
19:05Dexter collapsed,
19:06in the pool of blood,
19:08completely still,
19:09silent forever.
19:10My heart plunged,
19:11into an icy abyss.
19:13Don't you fear retribution?
19:16My words hit them like a splash of cold water,
19:19in a boiling pot,
19:20and the guilty ones instantly lost it.
19:23You useless quack!
19:23Look at the mess you made of our lives!
19:27May God punish you instead!
19:30Rotten vegetables,
19:32and reeking eggs,
19:33came flying at me,
19:34twice as many as before.
19:36And this time,
19:37they even hurled stones into the mix.
19:41A stone,
19:42smashed,
19:43squarely,
19:44into my left eye.
19:46I felt my eyeball rupture,
19:48agonizing pain,
19:50stabbed into my brain,
19:51making every nerve shudder.
19:53Mother!
19:54I finally hit her!
19:56I hit her!
19:57Zane was so thrilled.
19:59Lucia's eyes were cold.
20:01There was no trace of guilt left.
20:03Just pure hatred.
20:04You cursed my son?
20:06You totally deserved it!
20:08Then she turned around,
20:09and ruffled Zane's hair,
20:11her face full of pride.
20:12That's my boy.
20:14So clever.
20:15The guards finally appeared,
20:17a bit late,
20:18to try to restore order.
20:20I fixed the good eye,
20:21on every single person who'd hurt me,
20:24glaring at them,
20:25one by one.
20:26Maybe it was the blood streaming down my face,
20:28that looked so terrifying.
20:30Or maybe there was still,
20:31a shred of conscience left in them.
20:34They all took a step back,
20:35in unison.
20:36A mocking smile,
20:38tugged at my lips.
20:40Go tell your magistrate,
20:42find your magistrate,
20:44whatever charges he pinned on me,
20:46I accept them.
20:47My voice icy,
20:48and resolute.
20:49No one noticed that,
20:51right as my words faded,
20:52a single drop of blood,
20:54slipped from Zane's nostril,
20:56and landed in the mud at his feet.
20:58My easy confession,
20:59finally let Ridge,
21:01the magistrate,
21:02out a relieved breath.
21:03No need for torture,
21:04good.
21:05At least she knows her place.
21:07Ridge,
21:07truly was the youngest,
21:09and most fair-minded magistrate,
21:11in Urako.
21:12That day,
21:13I was stripped of everything I owned,
21:15paid what I owed,
21:16and lost whatever they wanted to take.
21:18Paisley hugged a pouch of silver.
21:20Thank you,
21:20Your Honor.
21:21Thank you,
21:22Dr. Warner.
21:23Thank you,
21:24Prince Felix.
21:25She gushed,
21:26voice trembling.
21:27Even Lucia,
21:28who never paid a single coin for treatment,
21:31still received ten silver tails in compensation.
21:34Son,
21:35now I finally have the money to send you to school.
21:38Lucia said,
21:39her voice shaking with excitement.
21:42Everyone clutched their silver,
21:43ten times the usual amount,
21:46and rushed over to Esme,
21:48falling to their knees before her,
21:50showering her with thanks.
21:51Thank you,
21:52Dr. Warner,
21:53for standing up for us.
21:54We'll work ourselves to the bone to repay your kindness.
21:58Esme looked genuinely pleased,
22:00unable to hide the excitement bubbling up inside.
22:03Please,
22:04get up.
22:05I'm just doing what I should.
22:07Her noble character,
22:08and selfless dedication to the people,
22:10left everyone in awe.
22:12The look in Ridge and Felix's eyes grew even more adoring.
22:16They were her loyal knights,
22:18hopelessly smitten.
22:19Esme was so sacred,
22:21so utterly unique.
22:23Like nothing they'd ever seen before,
22:25they were determined to stand by her side,
22:27and help her build the perfect world she'd always dreamed of.
22:31Simon Tate not only scored 30 silver tails in compensation,
22:35but also got Dexter's body.
22:38To my place,
22:39dog meat for everyone.
22:42Count me in.
22:44I'll throw in a silver tack for another dish.
22:46I'll get a big jug of wine for the folks.
22:48Another chimed in.
22:50All the victims who'd pocketed my compensation money
22:53started throwing their cash around.
22:55Only one person hung back,
22:57gripping their silver with a troubled look,
23:00clearly torn,
23:01and unable to join the celebration.
23:03Aren't we being a bit too unfair?
23:06After all,
23:07she really did cure our illnesses.
23:09His voice was low,
23:10but everyone picked up
23:12on the uneasy note in the air.
23:14Predatory,
23:15hostile stares
23:16immediately locked onto him.
23:18The man flinched,
23:20trying to backtrack.
23:21I just,
23:22I'm worried we might get...
23:24He clamped his lips shut,
23:26not daring to utter the word,
23:28karma.
23:29He was afraid of tempting fate,
23:32worried that,
23:33if he said it out loud,
23:34it might actually come true.
23:37Someone squared their shoulders,
23:38trying to pump everyone up.
23:40What are you afraid of?
23:42You think she can give us our illnesses back?
23:45No way,
23:46that could ever happen.
23:48Besides,
23:49I was just a sitting duck,
23:51totally at their mercy.
23:52They didn't give a damn.
23:54They were fearless.
23:55Paisley,
23:56Wallace's mother,
23:57happily carried a hundred tails of silver home,
24:00her face beaming with joy.
24:02She decided to treat herself for once,
24:04and splurged on a box of pastries
24:06fit for the wealthy,
24:08just for Wallace.
24:09Wallace was reading by the window,
24:11at that moment.
24:13Paisley set the pastries aside,
24:15and gazed at her son,
24:16her eyes full of pride.
24:18If Wallace could stand out in mission school,
24:21and get a job in the church later,
24:23with his handsome face,
24:24even the daughters of top officials,
24:26would be falling head over heels for him.
24:29Landing a father-in-law,
24:31who was a bigwig,
24:32in the court,
24:33was totally possible.
24:34Her son was destined for greatness,
24:37no doubt about it.
24:38And Sierra?
24:39She didn't even want to think about it.
24:42Everyone knew how much Paisley had sacrificed,
24:45to raise a scholar like Wallace.
24:47Most folks would shower her with gifts,
24:49or cash,
24:50out of respect.
24:51But Sierra was just stone cold.
24:54For a tiny bit of medicine,
24:56she actually had the nerve to charge Paisley ten tails.
24:59She had it coming.
25:01Just as Paisley was thinking all this,
25:03she suddenly saw a patch of red start,
25:06spreading across Wallace's forehead,
25:08then creeping around his eyes,
25:10and finally blooming over his cheeks.
25:13Paisley's blood ran ice cold.
25:15She snatched up a handkerchief,
25:17and frantically tried to wipe Wallace's face.
25:20Mother, what's wrong?
25:22Confusion written all over his face.
25:24His face stung,
25:26and his whole body itched.
25:28Paisley started shaking all over,
25:30panic rising inside her.
25:32No, no, no, this can't be real.
25:35Absolutely not.
25:37Meanwhile,
25:38Lucia was walking hand in hand with Zayn,
25:40carrying eggs,
25:41on her way to bring some extra food to the party,
25:44celebrating my defeat.
25:46Out of nowhere,
25:47Zayn collapsed,
25:48and didn't get up,
25:49blood gushing from his eyes,
25:51ears,
25:52nose,
25:53and mouth.
25:54Lucia,
25:55went white as a sheet,
25:57frozen in shock.
25:59At Simon's place,
26:00he was just about to skin and gut Dexter,
26:02when his wrist suddenly locked up.
26:05The knife landed on his foot,
26:07with a thud,
26:08but he couldn't even move a muscle.
26:10His wife was tending the fire for boiling water,
26:13and looked over.
26:14Simon's face was pale with terror.
26:16I can't move again.
26:18Early the next morning,
26:20the entrance to the Miracle Doctor's Hall,
26:22was completely blocked by a crowd.
26:25When a servant came to inform Esme,
26:27she had just gotten out of bed.
26:30Finally getting rid of me,
26:31that thorn in her side,
26:33left Esme feeling light,
26:34and refreshed.
26:36She casually brushed her sleeve,
26:38looking as cool,
26:39and unbothered,
26:40as ever.
26:41Tell them all to go home.
26:43Standing up for the people is my duty.
26:46They don't need to come here to thank me.
26:48No, that's not it.
26:49They're here because they're sick.
26:51All those people Sierra cured,
26:53now their illnesses are back.
26:55Esme's usual serene,
26:57untouchable demeanor,
26:59shattered in an instant.
27:01Her face went stiff.
27:02By the time she stepped outside,
27:04the entrance to the Miracle Doctor's Hall
27:06was a total madhouse.
27:08People were crying their eyes out,
27:10and howling like banshees.
27:12Wallace was covered head to toe,
27:14in crusty, scaly patches.
27:16Like he was wearing a suit of armor,
27:18made entirely out of his own skin.
27:21Paisley threw herself down at Esme's feet,
27:24looking absolutely desperate.
27:26Dr. Warner, please,
27:29you have to save my son.
27:31Didn't you say Sierra doesn't know a thing about medicine?
27:34You're the best.
27:35Please, you must know what to do.
27:37Paisley's hands were still stained
27:39with Wallace's nasty blood
27:40and flakes of skin.
27:42But she clung to Esme's skirt,
27:44with both hands,
27:45holding on for dear life.
27:47Esme's skin crawled with revulsion.
27:50If it weren't for all these people watching,
27:52she would have kicked Paisley out on the spot.
27:55Lucia practically threw herself to the ground,
27:58frantic and desperate.
28:00She clung to Zane,
28:01who was long since unconscious,
28:03his body absolutely soaked in blood.
28:06Dr. Warner,
28:07you're the divine miracle doctor,
28:09personally chosen by his majesty.
28:11You can work miracles.
28:13Opening up the brain and abdomen,
28:15nothing is beyond you.
28:16Please, save Zane.
28:18He looks up to you more than anyone.
28:20Simon was completely paralyzed,
28:22his whole body locked up.
28:24He struggled to open his mouth,
28:26but his vocal cords were so stiff
28:28that he couldn't make a single sound.
28:31Psoriasis,
28:32brain tumors,
28:32and total body paralysis.
28:35No matter which one it was,
28:37nobody could cure them.
28:38Not even with all the cutting-edge medicine
28:40of modern society.
28:42If she didn't step in and save them,
28:44her hard-earned title
28:45as the divine miracle doctor
28:47would be toast,
28:49and her reputation
28:50would crash and burn overnight.
28:52A cold sweat broke out down Esme's spine,
28:55her hands clammy and slick.
28:58She could barely keep her composure.
29:00Why?
29:01She wondered why I could fix these illnesses
29:03like it was nothing.
29:05But she couldn't do a damn thing.
29:07This made zero sense to her.
29:09She guessed there was gotta be a catch.
29:12I sat in the damp,
29:13moldy cell,
29:14unfazed by the miserable conditions.
29:17The cell door creaked open,
29:19and I opened my only good eye.
29:21I saw Ruby Spears.
29:23Well,
29:24she went by Olivia Jude then.
29:26Olivia
29:27was the name Esme gave her.
29:29Ruby
29:29was the name I chose for her
29:31back when I found her in the snow
29:33and brought her to the Spence Mansion.
29:36Back then,
29:37she was so cold
29:38that her whole body turned purple.
29:41I saved her life.
29:43She sobbed
29:44and bowed before me,
29:45vowing to serve me
29:47for the rest of her days
29:48to repay my kindness.
29:50But when Esme became famous in Capatio,
29:54Olivia stood tall before me
29:55and declared,
29:56Everyone is born equal.
29:58You're stuck in your old ways.
30:00I'm going to embrace
30:01my own freedom and future.
30:03Olivia,
30:04in her white robe,
30:05with a medical bag in hand,
30:07was starting to look
30:08more and more like Esme.
30:11Dr. Warner sent me
30:12to treat your wounds.
30:14She had that rebellious look,
30:15like someone who'd finally broken free
30:17and was singing
30:18her own victory song.
30:20She popped open her medical bag
30:22and grabbed some iodine,
30:23ready to disinfect my wounds.
30:25I turned my head away,
30:27dodging her hand.
30:29Olivia's patience
30:30was wearing thin.
30:31Don't be stupid.
30:33No one else is coming
30:34to patch you up except me,
30:35she snapped.
30:37These days,
30:38she was Esme's top assistant.
30:40Her time was way too valuable
30:42for just anyone to call her over.
30:44Did you give my remedy to Esme?
30:47I demanded.
30:48The day before,
30:50Esme obviously knew
30:51I was using the same formula.
30:52If anyone else knew
30:53about the remedy
30:54I used to heal people,
30:55it had to be Olivia.
30:57She'd helped me prepare it
30:58more than once.
30:59Olivia covered her guilt
31:01with anger.
31:02You hurt people
31:03and expect no one
31:04to call you out?
31:05Olivia snapped.
31:06Figures.
31:07It really was you.
31:09I knew this was coming,
31:10but it still left me cold inside.
31:13Get lost.
31:15Don't ever let me see you again.
31:17I shut my eyes,
31:18done looking at this
31:20backstabbing wolf.
31:21Olivia practically jumped
31:22with rage,
31:23her voice dripping
31:24with venom.
31:25When your wounds get infected,
31:27just rot here and die!
31:29She snatched up her medical bag
31:30and stomped toward the door,
31:32then threw me a dirty look
31:33over her shoulder.
31:34She snorted.
31:37And don't come begging
31:38when you're desperate for help.
31:39She swept out in a huff,
31:41leaving me alone in the cell.
31:43Just as Olivia
31:44stepped out of the cell,
31:46a wave of icy cold hit her,
31:48making her skin crawl.
31:50She couldn't help but shudder,
31:52the chill
31:53cutting straight to her bones.
31:55Outside Miracle Doctor's Hall,
31:58Esme's mind was spinning,
32:00trying to come up
32:00with a way out.
32:01She said slyly,
32:03Weren't you all saying
32:04Sierra was the one
32:04behind your illness?
32:05So why aren't you chasing
32:06after her instead?
32:08Relax.
32:09I'll give the Ministry of Justice
32:10a heads up
32:11so you can go see her.
32:12Paisley and the others
32:13looked completely baffled.
32:15They knew better than anyone
32:17whether they were really sick or not
32:19and whether I was guilty
32:20or innocent.
32:22But what really haunted them
32:23was how brutally
32:24they'd gone after me yesterday,
32:27especially the way
32:28they beat my dog to death
32:29while I cried out in agony.
32:31And that stone
32:32that smashed my eye.
32:35Just thinking about it
32:36made Lucia's whole body tremble.
32:39No, she won't save us.
32:41She's vicious.
32:42She'd never help us.
32:44Esme felt like her head
32:45was about to explode,
32:47wondering why these people
32:48were so damn stubborn.
32:50Just as Esme was about
32:51to send everyone
32:52straight to prison,
32:54Olivia came striding back.
32:55The moment she saw
32:57all those people
32:57kneeling on the ground,
32:59her eyes sparkled
33:00with excitement.
33:01This is what a divine
33:02miracle doctor looked like.
33:04She eased the suffering
33:05of the world,
33:06a goddess in the eyes
33:07of the people.
33:08An angel came to earth.
33:10No wonder Ridge
33:11was always raving about Esme,
33:13saying she was in a league
33:14of her own.
33:15In Olivia's eyes,
33:17compared to Esme,
33:18I was just nobody.
33:20Nothing about me
33:21was worth mentioning.
33:23Olivia
33:23was practically buzzing with.
33:26Excitement
33:27and pride
33:28rushing over
33:29to help Esme lift people up.
33:32Just
33:33like she used to.
33:35Don't worry everyone.
33:36Dr. Warner is a genius.
33:38She can open up
33:39the brain and abdomen.
33:41Even the head
33:42of the royal hospital
33:43is dying to be her apprentice.
33:45You can trust her
33:46with your lives.
33:47Esme watched helplessly
33:49as Olivia helped
33:50each person
33:51into the miracle doctor's hall,
33:53shooting her a look
33:54that practically screamed,
33:56Aren't you proud of me?
33:57Esme felt like
33:58she was about to explode,
34:00so she quickly
34:01rubbed her chest
34:02to calm herself down.
34:03Three days later,
34:05Esme stepped
34:06into the prison,
34:07looking absolutely wrecked,
34:09with dark circles
34:10under her eyes.
34:11Ridge
34:12was right behind her.
34:14Sierra,
34:15what did you give them?
34:16They're on the brink of death.
34:18Doesn't your conscience
34:19bother you at all?
34:20She still looked
34:21like her heart
34:22was breaking in two.
34:24Sierra,
34:25I'm giving you
34:26a shot at redemption.
34:27Fix them up,
34:28and I'll go
34:29to the emperor myself
34:30to get your sentence
34:31reduced.
34:32You really want
34:33to spend the rest
34:34of your life
34:34locked up here?
34:35Ridge pressed.
34:37For Esme,
34:38he was ready
34:38to toss aside
34:39all his gentlemanly
34:40airs and reputation.
34:42I slowly opened
34:43my eyes
34:44and smiled.
34:45Are you still
34:45fooling yourselves?
34:48Or do you seriously
34:50think I could poison
34:51them from behind bars?
34:53Esme's face
34:54went pale.
34:55Esme could never
34:56bring herself
34:56to admit
34:57that a medical doctor
34:58from modern society,
35:00armed with knowledge
35:01a thousand years ahead,
35:02actually lost
35:03to some backward local
35:04that couldn't be
35:05more humiliating.
35:07Her sense of superiority
35:08as a time traveler
35:10wouldn't allow it.
35:11I just closed my eyes,
35:13shutting them out completely.
35:14None of this
35:15was worth my attention.
35:16I heard Simon was dead.
35:19His heart and lungs
35:20had completely failed.
35:22He stopped breathing.
35:23His heart
35:24stopped beating.
35:25The Tate family,
35:27dressed in mourning,
35:28burst into the
35:29miracle doctor's hall,
35:30yelling that if Esme
35:31hadn't tried
35:32to get me punished,
35:33they never would have
35:34lied to frame me.
35:35If it hadn't been for that,
35:37Simon would still be alive.
35:39One patient after another,
35:41left without proper treatment,
35:43couldn't care less
35:44about their pride anymore.
35:45The miracle doctor's hall
35:47had been smashed up,
35:48and several people
35:49got hurt in the chaos.
35:51Quentin sent the
35:52royal dragon guards
35:53to stand guard
35:54around the clock.
35:55Lucia,
35:56clutching Zane,
35:58who was barely
35:58clinging to life,
36:00frustrated herself
36:01at the prison gates,
36:02bowing again and again,
36:04begging for forgiveness.
36:06Dr. Spencer,
36:07you saved Zane before.
36:09You can do it again, right?
36:11Her voice trembled
36:12with desperation.
36:13Please don't.
36:14I smiled.
36:15Weren't you all saying
36:16I know nothing about medicine?
36:18That I'm just out
36:19for money and murder?
36:20So why would you think
36:22I could save anyone now?
36:24Lucia sobbed,
36:25banging her head
36:26against the ground
36:27over and over,
36:28until blood ran down her face.
36:31If you can save Zane,
36:32even if it costs me my life,
36:34I'd do it.
36:35Zane is everything to me.
36:38Dr. Spencer,
36:39I'm begging you,
36:40please show us mercy
36:42one more time.
36:43My smile faded
36:44as I pointed
36:45at the ruined socket
36:46where my eye
36:47had been smashed.
36:49Do you honestly think
36:50you're in any position
36:51to beg me?
36:52Suddenly,
36:53she lunged at me,
36:54screaming.
36:55Sierra,
36:56if you don't save my son,
36:57I swear I'll make sure
36:58you die a miserable death!
37:00She clawed at the bars,
37:01her face contorted in rage.
37:03She looked like a demon,
37:05all teeth and wild eyes.
37:07The guards finally showed up
37:09and dragged her away.
37:11Olivia finally stepped out
37:12from her hiding spot.
37:14How can you be so heartless?
37:16They're suffering so much.
37:18No doubt Olivia had set this up,
37:21noping I'd finally cave
37:22and do something.
37:24I closed my eyes,
37:26couldn't be bothered
37:26to even look at her.
37:28After a while,
37:29she fell to her knees
37:30in front of the cell door,
37:32sobbing.
37:33Lady Sierra,
37:34please save me!
37:36Dr. Warner said
37:37if this keeps up
37:38they'll have to cut off
37:39my legs!
37:40I don't want to be a cripple!
37:42I don't want to die!
37:44I didn't move,
37:46tuning her out completely.
37:47After some time,
37:49a whole mob
37:49suddenly rushed in,
37:51making a huge commotion.
37:52They all fell to their knees,
37:54outside my cell,
37:56sobbing
37:56and begging me
37:57to save them.
37:59Dr. Spencer,
38:00we were wrong!
38:02This is what we deserve!
38:05From now on,
38:06we'll be decent people.
38:08We'll never accuse you again.
38:10Please, Dr. Spencer,
38:12have mercy and save us!
38:13Their cries
38:14shook the whole prison,
38:16but I couldn't care less.
38:17That day,
38:19the prison
38:19was a total circus.
38:22After they'd spent
38:23the whole night kneeling,
38:25His Highness,
38:26Felix,
38:27finally made his entrance.
38:28His face was pale
38:30and haggard,
38:31like he hadn't gotten
38:32a decent night's sleep
38:33in days.
38:34Sierra,
38:36if you hand over the cure,
38:38I'll even de-ain
38:39to take you in
38:40as my compine.
38:43So that was what
38:45had been keeping him up
38:46at night,
38:46losing sleep over this mess.
38:48Everyone,
38:49patients and their families,
38:51looked at him
38:52as if he were their last hope,
38:54eyes full of gratitude.
38:56Quentin despised me,
38:57but he was willing
38:58to swallow his pride
38:59and go that far for them.
39:01No wonder they all felt
39:02like they owed him big time,
39:04bowing and thanking him
39:06as if he were their savior.
39:08Sierra,
39:08this is your only chance!
39:10His words almost made me
39:11laugh out loud.
39:12Ten years ago,
39:14Your Highnessness,
39:14you were just an outcast prince,
39:16poisoned since you were a kid,
39:18so weak you could barely stand.
39:19Even your own mother
39:20gave up on you.
39:21I saved you,
39:22gave you the antidote,
39:23and let you go out there
39:24to earn your glory.
39:25But just ten days ago,
39:27you used that same antidote
39:29I gave you
39:30to lock me away
39:31in this dark cell yourself.
39:33So tell me,
39:35what makes you think
39:36you're in any position
39:38to bargain with me now?
39:40Quentin's face kept shifting
39:41between pale and ashen.
39:44He was so utterly stunned
39:45that he couldn't say
39:47a single word.
39:48Suddenly,
39:49that familiar voice
39:50echoed through the room,
39:52clear and unmistakable.
39:54Esme staggered in,
39:56drawing everyone's attention.
39:58Don't beg her!
40:00I've seen through
40:01all her tricks!
40:02God knows how many nights
40:04Esme had gone without sleep.
40:06She looked so frail,
40:08like she could collapse
40:09any second
40:09if the wind blew too hard.
40:11Quentin was at her side
40:13in an instant,
40:14catching her
40:15before she could fall.
40:16Esme was practically
40:17curled up in Felix's arms.
40:19Quentin's heart ached so much
40:21that it felt like
40:22it could wrap around her
40:23and shield her
40:24from everything.
40:25Sierra,
40:27aren't you scared?
40:28I've uncovered your secret,
40:30the kind you can't let
40:31anyone else ever
40:33find out about.
40:34My heart gave a jolt
40:35and my throat
40:36tightened up,
40:37but I forced myself
40:38to meet her gaze,
40:40trying to look calm.
40:41Everyone saw a glimmer
40:43of hope
40:43and turned to Esme.
40:45Esme had never felt
40:46so exhilarated.
40:48It's not the medicine
40:49that's really curing them.
40:51It's your.
40:53She grinned,
40:54her smile
40:55downright creepy.
40:57Your blood!
40:58She spat out.
40:59My heart plummeted
41:01and a fear
41:02I'd never felt before
41:03surged through me.
41:05Ever since I was a kid,
41:06my master had raised me
41:08as a living vessel
41:08for the curse.
41:09My blood could cure
41:11any illness
41:11and neutralize
41:13any poison.
41:14My master always said
41:15this secret
41:16could never get out.
41:17If it did,
41:18I'd be doomed for good.
41:21What?
41:21What are you trying to do?
41:23I stammered.
41:25Esme didn't answer.
41:26She didn't need to.
41:28I'd become
41:29her personal blood bank.
41:30Olivia herself
41:31took a whole bag
41:32of my blood.
41:33Her grin was
41:34almost grotesque.
41:35She sneered.
41:37Regret it now?
41:38When I was begging you
41:39on my knees,
41:40you didn't even care.
41:42Now it's your turn
41:43to beg me, huh?
41:44If you get down
41:45on your knees,
41:46maybe I'll be in a good mood
41:47and only take a few
41:48bags of your blood.
41:49She was always preaching
41:50about equality,
41:51but now that she held
41:52someone else's fate
41:53in her hands,
41:54she was no better
41:55than those who used
41:56to exploit and crush her.
41:58Esme wasted no time
41:59whipping up a miracle cure,
42:01bringing those patients
42:02who were at death's door
42:03back to life.
42:04She looked like
42:05she'd just stumbled
42:06upon a miracle.
42:07She exclaimed,
42:08If I hadn't seen it
42:09with my own eyes,
42:10I never would have believed
42:12there could be a cure-all
42:13in this world.
42:15Sierra,
42:16you're a walking treasure.
42:18If I published
42:19my research about you,
42:20I might even win
42:22a Nobel Prize!
42:23Her eyes burned
42:24with a wild,
42:25crazed obsession,
42:26and I could see it
42:27clear as day.
42:28She came to see me
42:29almost every single day,
42:31and even went out
42:32of her way
42:33to move me
42:33to a cleaner cell.
42:34She even set up
42:35an entire lab
42:36just for me,
42:37so she could experiment
42:38on me as much
42:39as she liked.
42:40In less than a month,
42:42Carpatio was swept up
42:43in a craze
42:43for several miracle medicines.
42:45There was a cream
42:46that could erase wrinkles
42:47for high society women.
42:49Some injections
42:50would cure
42:51even the most
42:51incurable illnesses.
42:53Some patches
42:54could make wounds heal
42:55almost instantly,
42:57and more.
42:58The entire Carpatio
42:59was transformed,
43:00all because of my blood.
43:02The emperor
43:03wasn't just back
43:04to his old,
43:05powerful self.
43:06His hair had gone
43:07from grey to brown,
43:08and every concubine
43:10in the palace
43:10was gossiping
43:11that he looked
43:12twenty years younger.
43:13Even the beauties
43:14were sneaking out
43:15for skin care
43:16and beauty treatments,
43:17breaking all
43:18the usual rules.
43:19Outside the miracle
43:20doctor's hall,
43:21the street was packed
43:22with fancy carriages
43:23from Carpatio's
43:24high and mighty,
43:25all lining up
43:26for a cure.
43:27Ordinary folks
43:28passed by
43:28with glowing,
43:29healthy smiles.
43:30And some looked
43:31like they'd drop
43:32to their knees
43:32and worship Esme
43:33if they got the chance.
43:35Bag after bag
43:36of my blood
43:37was relentlessly
43:38drained from me.
43:39The constant loss
43:40left me feeling
43:41as if I was stranded
43:42in a never-ending winter.
43:44Every day,
43:45all I felt
43:46was bone-deep,
43:47icy,
43:48numbness.
43:49Ridge came to see me
43:50a few times.
43:51He did feel sorry
43:53for me at first.
43:54But after Esme
43:55brainwashed him,
43:56Ridge told me,
43:57You're making
43:57a real sacrifice
43:58for all of
44:00Capetium.
44:01Quentin showed up
44:02too,
44:02but he was just
44:03there to see
44:04how much longer.
44:05I'd survive.
44:06If I died,
44:08Esme would lose
44:09her blood source,
44:10and that'd be
44:11a huge problem
44:12for everyone.
44:13I heard the Emperor
44:14had already made him
44:15the Crown Prince.
44:16He acted
44:17like he was carrying
44:18the fate of Carpatio itself,
44:20and to him,
44:21throwing me under the bus
44:22for the greater good
44:23was totally justified.
44:25Don't resent it.
44:27Your blood has saved
44:28countless lives.
44:29You should feel honored.
44:30He said,
44:31as if that made it
44:32all okay.
44:33I wished I could
44:34curse him out,
44:35but I was too weak
44:36to get the words out.
44:37Word spread
44:38that my blood
44:39could cure the incurable,
44:40and soon enough,
44:41people believed
44:42their own blood
44:43could heal,
44:44too.
44:45They said my blood
44:46could make people
44:47young again,
44:48so everyone thought
44:49their own blood
44:49could turn back
44:50the years.
44:51But there just
44:52wasn't enough
44:52of my blood
44:53to go around.
44:54I couldn't save everyone.
44:56Zane's illness
44:57was cured,
44:58but one day,
44:59he vanished.
45:00When the authorities
45:01found him,
45:02he was nothing
45:03but a dried-up husk,
45:05his blood
45:05completely drained.
45:07Day in,
45:08day out,
45:09tragedies like this
45:10kept happening.
45:11They were reveling
45:12in a power
45:13that was never theirs
45:14to begin with.
45:15This reckless celebration
45:17could only lead
45:18to their downfall.
45:20Another plague
45:20was creeping through
45:21Carpatio,
45:22silent,
45:23but deadly.
45:24At first,
45:25it was just a black patch
45:27on the skin
45:27and nobody cared,
45:29but then those dark spots
45:30spread,
45:31slowly taking over
45:32the whole body.
45:34Soon,
45:34the black patches
45:35began to give off
45:37a sickening,
45:38rotten smell.
45:39From the lowest street peddler
45:41to the highest nobles,
45:43anyone who'd touch my blood
45:44or those so-called
45:45miracle cures,
45:47nobody was spared.
45:48Esme slid the sample
45:49under the microscope
45:50and what she saw
45:52made her blood run cold.
45:54Microscopic,
45:55virus-like organisms
45:57swarmed over
45:58and devoured
45:59the miracle doctor's hall,
46:01causing trouble
46:01and demanding answers.
46:04Quentin and Ridge teamed up
46:06to help Esme cover up
46:07the negative news
46:08and keep a lid
46:09on the spreading rumours.
46:11But something went wrong
46:12in the palace.
46:13The emperor's hair
46:14turned grey
46:15in a single night
46:16and his life force
46:17seemed completely drained.
46:19He looked like a ghoul
46:20straight out of hell.
46:22Wrinkles crawled
46:23across the concubine's faces
46:25overnight.
46:26They aged from 40
46:27to look like they were 70
46:29in a single night.
46:31Finally,
46:32a wave of putrid stench
46:34swept through the palace
46:35and even the skin
46:36of the noble women
46:37started to fester
46:39and rot.
46:40When Esme burst into the lab,
46:42I was sitting in the cage
46:44she'd made just for me,
46:45flipping through
46:46her medical masterpiece.
46:47Every doctor
46:48was supposed to master this book
46:50and it was widely promoted
46:52among people.
46:53Esme demanded,
46:54her voice trembling.
46:56Why did it turn out like this?
46:59What did you do to them?
47:01Her face was pale with terror
47:03and she was babbling.
47:04Ever thought that maybe
47:05it's not about what I did to them
47:07but what happened
47:07when you used my blood
47:08to make your drugs?
47:10You might have caused
47:11something to mutate.
47:13Honestly,
47:14I should graduate you.
47:15You pulled out all the stops
47:17and managed to create
47:18a brand new illness.
47:20Esme collapsed to the floor,
47:21her legs giving out beneath her.
47:23Deep down,
47:24she already knew the truth.
47:26She couldn't accept it.
47:28She wanted me to say it out loud,
47:30to make it real.
47:32That day,
47:33I finished her medical masterpiece
47:35inside the cage
47:36she'd built for me.
47:38Outside,
47:39Esme just sat there
47:40in a daze all day.
47:42When I closed the book
47:43and looked up,
47:44she was still staring at me,
47:46not even blinking.
47:47She parted her dry lips
47:49and said,
47:50You think you've won?
47:52No way.
47:53If I could create this virus,
47:55I could wipe it off too.
47:57She walked away,
47:59her back straight,
48:00every step,
48:01full of resolve.
48:03Whether it was controlling floods
48:05or curing diseases,
48:07centuries of wisdom
48:08said the same thing.
48:09Letting things flow
48:10was way better
48:11than trying to block them off.
48:13When medicine turned into a fight,
48:16it was killing
48:17or being killed.
48:18And even if you hurt your enemy,
48:20you'd end up hurting yourself
48:21almost as much.
48:23If you couldn't take out your enemy,
48:25you were helping them become stronger.
48:27After a brief lull,
48:29the plague erupted like a tidal wave.
48:31Nothing could stop it.
48:33All of Capazio
48:34reeked of rot,
48:36the stench
48:37hanging heavy in the air.
48:39Ridge dragged me out of the cage,
48:41and Felix's sword
48:42was pressed right against my throat.
48:44Sierra,
48:45this is your last chance.
48:47Tell me,
48:48how can this be undone?
48:50Felix demanded,
48:51his tone icy
48:52and commanding.
48:54The blade was so sharp
48:56that it pierced my skin,
48:57but I didn't even flinch.
48:59How can you be so heartless?
49:01Those are living,
49:02breathing people.
49:04How can you watch them die?
49:05Ridge shouted,
49:06his voice trembling
49:08with fury.
49:09My eyes flickered.
49:10Isn't this all your fault?
49:12Seriously,
49:13I didn't get it.
49:14Everyone fell silent.
49:17Esme collapsed to her knees,
49:18as if she'd finally reached
49:20her breaking point.
49:22Sierra,
49:23you,
49:25win,
49:26she said,
49:27her voice barely above a whisper.
49:29This time,
49:30she really was at the end
49:32of her rope.
49:33I was not really that cold-blooded.
49:35I never wanted to see
49:36all those people die,
49:37even if they were so greedy
49:39that they'd drain me dry
49:40without a second thought.
49:41Try Mercy Hall.
49:43That old,
49:44traditional doctor there,
49:45he might know what to do.
49:47I said,
49:48my voice low,
49:49but steady.
49:50It was the only real chance
49:51I could give them.
49:53Esme's eyes lit up,
49:54and Felix immediately ordered
49:56the Royal Dragon Guards
49:57to fetch him,
49:58but Ridge's face
49:59drained
50:00of all color.
50:02No need.
50:04He's already dead,
50:05Ridge said,
50:06his voice barely above a whisper.
50:08How could that be?
50:09Half a month ago,
50:11someone accused him
50:12of being a quack
50:13and causing deaths
50:14for profit.
50:15The patient demanded
50:16ten times what he charged
50:17for his medicine
50:17as compensation.
50:19Humiliated and devastated,
50:20he took his own life.
50:21I couldn't help
50:22but burst out laughing.
50:25Quack?
50:26Killing for money?
50:27Do you even realize
50:29how many lives
50:29he saved over the years?
50:31Just one petty man
50:33could push him over the edge?
50:35Wow,
50:35you must be so proud of your-
50:37Ridge and the other's faces
50:39turned darker.
50:40There are plenty
50:41of other doctors
50:43just as skilled as him.
50:45I believe we can find
50:46another one.
50:47But was there really
50:48anyone out there
50:49who'd actually help?
50:50Is there any other way?
50:52Yes.
50:53I answered,
50:54not missing a beat.
50:55Their eyes lit up again,
50:57but I could tell
50:57they were a little ticked off
50:58at how cocky
50:59I'd been earlier.
51:00You knew there was
51:01another way
51:02and kept quiet?
51:03Did you do that
51:04on purpose?
51:05Ridge snapped.
51:06I just shot him a grin.
51:08Everyone I treated
51:09ended up sick again.
51:11Do you even know
51:12why you and Felix
51:13are the only ones
51:14who didn't get sick?
51:15I didn't need to say it.
51:17And Esme
51:17already knew.
51:19Capaccio
51:20used to be packed
51:21with family medical lineages
51:22that had lasted
51:23for centuries.
51:24But some of those heirs
51:26were dead,
51:26driven to their deaths
51:27by persecution
51:28and pressure.
51:30Some had fled,
51:31desperate to escape
51:32the chaos.
51:33Most, though,
51:35had chosen to protect themselves,
51:36giving up their legacies,
51:38shutting their doors,
51:39and refusing to treat
51:40anyone at all.
51:42Ridge searched
51:43every nook and cranny
51:44of Capaccio,
51:45but just as expected,
51:46he couldn't find
51:47a single traditional healer
51:49willing to step in
51:50and fix this disaster.
51:52I heard the burial pits
51:53were overflowing,
51:54that they couldn't fit
51:55another body in there.
51:57Everywhere in Capaccio,
51:58there were pyres burning,
52:00bodies turning to ash
52:01in the flames.
52:02Even the royal prison
52:04had been abandoned.
52:05I hadn't eaten
52:06in three days.
52:08Just then,
52:09Olivia
52:09finally unlocked my cage
52:11and set me free
52:13from the lab.
52:14She dropped to her knees,
52:15right in front of me,
52:17a total wreck,
52:18sobbing
52:19and crying her heart out.
52:21Lady Sierra,
52:23I was wrong.
52:24I made a huge mistake.
52:27I'm so sorry.
52:29Olivia was swathed
52:30in layers of fabric,
52:32her whole body thick
52:33with the scent of powder
52:34and perfume,
52:35but even that
52:35couldn't cover up
52:36the sickening smell
52:37of rot underneath.
52:38I moved past her,
52:40every step,
52:41taking me closer
52:42to the freedom
52:43I'd been dreaming of.
52:44Olivia suddenly
52:45latched onto my leg,
52:47clutching it
52:47as if her life
52:48depended on it.
52:50She cried,
52:51her voice shaking.
52:53Please,
52:54help me.
52:54I swear I won't
52:55do this again.
52:56All that stuff
52:57Esma said about
52:58everyone being equal?
53:00Total nonsense.
53:01She could have
53:02managed the illness,
53:04but she only bothered
53:05with the nobles.
53:06She always said
53:07I was her favorite
53:08assistant,
53:09but she wouldn't
53:10even give it a try.
53:11Olivia was a mess,
53:13crying her eyes out.
53:15I looked at her coolly.
53:16Did you ever feel
53:17even a shred of guilt
53:18when you were
53:19taking my blood?
53:20Olivia froze,
53:22but she still tried
53:23to talk her way
53:23out of it.
53:24I snorted.
53:25The only reason
53:26you're begging me now
53:27is that you've lost
53:28control and need me.
53:30Someone like you
53:31isn't worth saving.
53:32I kicked her hand away
53:33and didn't look back
53:34as I headed
53:35for my freedom.
53:36As I passed by
53:37one of the prison cells,
53:39I heard a voice
53:40I instantly recognized.
53:41Ridge,
53:42I'm sorry.
53:44Right now,
53:45only you and I
53:46have antibodies.
53:47I'm supposed to be
53:48the future ruler
53:49and I have to
53:50protect everyone.
53:51So you're the one
53:52to pay the price.
53:54The wind nudged
53:55the half-open door,
53:57pushing it open
53:57just a crack.
53:58I saw Ridge
53:59tied down
54:00to the lab table,
54:01just as I was before.
54:03He was thrashing around,
54:04cursing up a storm.
54:06He was the golden boy,
54:08the pride of Capaccio.
54:10How could they
54:10treat him like a lab rat
54:11and bleed him dry?
54:13To make him cooperate,
54:15Esme did the honors herself
54:16and jabbed him
54:17with a sedative.
54:19Ridge lay still there
54:20on the table.
54:21His head turned
54:22just enough to spot me.
54:24Our eyes met
54:25and I shot him
54:26a little smile.
54:27It looked like
54:28it was Ridge's turn
54:29to do his part
54:30for Capaccio.
54:31I wondered
54:32if he was excited
54:33about it.
54:33As I stepped out
54:35of the prison,
54:36a massive crowd
54:36came storming over
54:37like a tidal wave
54:39heading straight for me.
54:41Ordinary people
54:42and the elite alike
54:43were all mixed
54:44in the chaos.
54:45Ridge and Felix
54:46are inside.
54:47They're the only ones
54:48with antibodies.
54:50Get in there.
54:51Drain every last drop
54:52of their blood.
54:52It's our only chance
54:54to survive.
54:54Someone yelled.
54:55I glanced back
54:57and saw the bodies
54:58of the royal dragon guards
54:59crashed beneath
55:01the stampede
55:01of desperate people.
55:03I stood atop
55:04Jireen Hill
55:04taking one last look
55:06at Capaccio,
55:07the place I'd called home
55:09for a decade.
55:10Cries of misery
55:11echoed everywhere.
55:12Devastation stretched
55:13as far as the eye
55:14could see.
55:15Capaccio
55:16was all but destroyed.
55:18Dr. Spencer!
55:19An elderly lady
55:20lurched toward me,
55:22barely keeping her balance.
55:23It was Paisley.
55:25She was cradling a dog
55:27tightly in her arms.
55:29She gently placed
55:30the dog at my feet,
55:31hope shining desperately
55:33in her eyes.
55:34She said,
55:35Dr. Spence,
55:37Dexter's still alive.
55:39Dexter was hanging
55:40by a thread,
55:41not dead or alive.
55:43I cut my finger
55:44and let my blood
55:46drip into Dexter's mouth.
55:47In no time,
55:49Dexter,
55:49who'd looked like
55:50he was on his last legs,
55:52suddenly got up.
55:53Paisley's eyes
55:54lit up with greed
55:55and desperate hope.
55:57She dropped to her knees
55:58in front of me again.
56:00Dr. Spencer,
56:01please save my son.
56:02He just earned
56:04his scholar's title.
56:05He's got his whole future
56:07ahead of him.
56:07This time,
56:08she handed over
56:09everything she owned,
56:11which was a hundred
56:11tails of silver.
56:13I stared at her,
56:15curious why she wasn't sick.
56:17Maybe she gave
56:18all the good stuff
56:18she could find
56:19to Wallace.
56:21So this
56:22was a mother's love?
56:23I don't know medicine
56:24and I don't have
56:26a thousand towns
56:27to give you.
56:28Just go home,
56:29I said.
56:30I picked up Dexter
56:31and walked off
56:33with a carefree swagger.
56:35You'd rather save
56:36a damn bone
56:37and fall a damn dog
56:40than my son?
56:41Fine!
56:42Go die with him then!
56:45She lunged at me,
56:46a sharp knife
56:47aimed straight
56:48for my heart.
56:49But just inches
56:50from my heart,
56:51Paisley came
56:52to a sudden halt.
56:54Her face contorted,
56:55her limbs
56:56started convulsing.
56:57Did she forget
56:58she'd taken the stuff
56:59I gave her, too?
57:01I just wanted her to watch,
57:03helpless,
57:04as her precious son suffered.
57:06She squirmed on the ground,
57:08like a maggot.
57:09There wasn't a single ounce
57:11of sympathy left in me
57:12for humans anymore.
57:14Dexter,
57:15from now on,
57:16you're all I've got.
57:17You're my family now,
57:19I said.
57:20I was a living parasite,
57:22a curse,
57:23in human form.
57:25I could wipe out
57:25any illness,
57:26and cleanse any poison.
57:28I could heal people,
57:30or turn their suffering
57:31back on them,
57:32a hundredfold.
57:34My master once told me
57:35I could pass on my curse
57:36through my blood,
57:37planting child parasites
57:39inside others.
57:40They could draw power
57:41from my blood,
57:42but I could just as easily
57:43siphon their life force
57:44in return.
57:45My master spent
57:46him entire life
57:47chasing immortality,
57:48running thousands
57:49of experiments.
57:50The caves behind
57:51the mountain
57:52were piled high,
57:53with him failed creations,
57:55but I was her only success.
57:57He took my blood
57:58for seven years.
57:59After all that time,
58:01my body was riddled
58:02with wounds,
58:03barely alive.
58:04In the end,
58:05I finally fought back.
58:07That day,
58:08he became a mummified corpse,
58:10and for the first time,
58:12I saw my body whole again.
58:14That was also the day
58:15Ridge came to bring me home.
58:17Later,
58:18I met Felix.
58:19I finally had a family,
58:21people I actually
58:23wanted to love
58:24and protect.
58:25I thought maybe
58:26I could be a normal person,
58:27too.
58:28But alas,
58:29I failed.
58:30The sunlight felt
58:31warm and alive,
58:33pouring over me
58:34and Dexter
58:34like a fresh start.
58:36I tore off the bandage
58:37from my left eye.
58:38With both eyes open,
58:40the world really was
58:41a whole new place,
58:42so much brighter,
58:44so much better.
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