Inside the Frost Family Palace, the heavy, echoing footsteps of Kent trailed close behind Lily as she led him through the grand corridors.
As they entered the Central Hall, Kent caught sight of a dazzlingly dressed woman, heavy with jewels and pride, sitting with a hand fan in her hand. Her round fat face was covered in makeup that seemed to cake in the creases of her skin, adding a hint of severity to her already sharp eyes.
“Lady Bomma,” Lily greeted her with a respectful bow, but the older woman merely tilted her head in a dismissive nod, her gaze briefly flicking toward Kent before she turned her attention back to Lily.
“Let’s not waste time,” Lady Bomma said, her tone curt and impatient. “Lead me to your sister’s room. I have other important appointments to attend.”
“Of course, Lady Bomma,” Lily replied in a quiet, deferential tone, masking her discomfort. She motioned for the healer to follow, and they started down the hallway, Kent trailing just behind.
They reached a quiet, dimly lit room in one of the far corners of the palace. Thea sat waiting inside, covered only in a plain white cloth.
As Thea her sister Lily, she stood up with a smile. But soon, her smile faded in quick shock.
As her gaze met Kent’s, a flicker of recognition lit her eyes, only to quickly fade into shock. Her calm composure shattered as she froze, her heart pounding hard beneath her ribs. She looked away, her hands gripping the cloth.
Lily cleared her throat, stepping aside and gesturing to the healer. “Lady Bomma, this is my sister, Thea. Please, examine her condition. She’s been struggling.”
Thea’s voice faltered, but she managed to greet the healer, her gaze flickering once more to Kent, who lingered by the door, watching her closely. The weight of his stare made her heart pound like drums and she refused to meet his eyes again.
Lady Bomma’s gaze settled on Kent with an air of condescension. “Young man, this is no place for you. I don’t need an audience for my methods. You might get frightened by what you see,” she said with a mocking smile, dismissing him with a wave of her fan.
Kent didn’t flinch. “I’m fine where I am. Also, I’d like to see the so-called abilities of a supreme 9th rank healer. Consider it an eye opener.” Kent replied, his voice even but carrying an edge of sarcasm.
Lady Bomma’s mouth twisted into a smirk. She raised her hand, and five golden needles materialised between her fingers. “Very well. I don’t mind showing a country bumpkin like you how real healing is done.” She turned back to Thea, who lay down on the bed with visible apprehension, her body still shaking in tension.
For the next twenty minutes, Lady Bomma performed an elaborate treatment, every move made with unnecessary flair, as if trying to impress Kent with her precision. Kent watched in silence, his eyes narrowing as he noticed the healer’s distracted focus and overconfident gestures.
But then, something went wrong.
Thea’s body suddenly convulsed, her skin paling rapidly, and her breathing grew ragged. Frost began to spread across her limbs, delicate flakes forming on her cheeks and shoulders, and the air around her grew chillingly cold. Her thin cloth turned almost transparent, revealing the horrifying extent of her naked condition.
Lily gasped, her hands flying to her mouth. “Lady Bomma, what’s happening?” she cried, her voice thick with panic. “Please, do something! She’s—she’s freezing!”
Lady Bomma staggered back, her face drained of its usual haughtiness, replaced with a panicked, chicken in winter night expression. Her fingers shook as the needles fell to the floor, clinking softly. “I—I don’t understand! Her mana channels… they’re breaking apart! The frost element is consuming her! I… I can’t… This is beyond my ability. I’m… so sorry.”
“You’re sorry?” Lily’s voice broke as she glared at the healer, her eyes wide with shock and betrayal. “You’re a supreme healer! You promised you can easily treat her, and now she’s—” Her voice faltered, tears brimming as she looked at her sister, who was trembling on the bed, her skin an ashen white.
The painful uttering of Thea covered the room as her teeth cluttered like a freezing skeleton.
After staring long enough, Kent took a step forward with a cold look. He approached the bed, his gaze steady, unaffected by the panic around him.
“Hey… what are you doing? Don’t touch her!” Bomma cried out in panic.
But he stared at Lily’s naked body under transparent cloth for a second. Raised his hand and he ran his fingers along Thea’s forehead, tracing a path down her arms, allowing the energy within him to flow.
His power, drawn from the Dao of Dancing Frost, stabilised her, harmonising with the frost invading her body. With each touch, he channelled warmth and stability, gradually calming the violent energy and bringing her back from the brink.
The frost retreated, melting back beneath her skin, and Thea’s breathing steadied. Slowly, her eyes opened, and the first thing she saw was Kent’s face. Their eyes locked, and in that moment, all the unsaid words and betrayals filled Thea’s mind as she felt guilty of her past actions.
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Kent took a single step back, his gaze never wavering from Thea. “Lily, I’ll be at the training grounds. Take care of your sister and join me in the training ground soon.” He said before turning around.
He turned to leave, the coldness in his tone masking the storm of emotions churning within him. He didn’t look back, each step taking him farther from the woman he had once known, and still, perhaps, held feelings for. Either they are bad or good.
As his silhouette faded from the doorway, a tear slipped down from the corner’s of Thea’s eyes, leaving a faint trail across her skin. She clutched the sheets tightly, her heart aching with a mixture of regret and pain that felt almost unbearable.
How had they drifted so far apart? And would they ever be able to bridge the chasm that now lay between them?
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*I hope you liked this chapter! Tq 😉