Chapter Six-3
1409 Words
Ella seemed oblivious, not pausing her incantation.
Instead, she freed one hand, grabbed a small vial from the wooden box, flicked the stopper off with her thumb, and poured the clear liquid into the boy's mouth once more.
Simultaneously, she quickened the rhythm of her chant.
The suction within the glass jar intensified abruptly. The color of the blood surging from the wound began to shift—from black to dark red, then to bright crimson.
The boy's body jerked violently before slumping limp once more.
Yet his breathing had returned to normal. Though still faint, it was steady now.
And the pallor that had dominated his face slowly gave way to a faint flush of color.
Ella halted the incantation and removed the glass jar. It now held a thick, dark-red, viscous liquid that emitted a foul stench.
But Ella didn't pause her actions. She swiftly bandaged the boy's wound with gauze and fed him a small vial of green potion.
Only then did she exhale a long breath.
Her clothes were soaked through, as if she'd just been pulled from the water.
“He’s stable,” Ella said, her voice weary.
“About eighty percent of the toxin is out. The remainder can be neutralized with medication. He should remain completely still for the next week and rest thoroughly. I'll prepare some potions shortly for him to take daily. He should be fully recovered in about a fortnight.”
Soon, Ella handed the prepared medicine to the young woman.
The woman took the medicine and glanced at her son in her arms. Though still unconscious, his breathing had steadied, and his complexion had returned to normal.
Tears welled up in her eyes, no longer from panic but from gratitude.
“Thank you... thank you...” She fumbled in her pocket for all the money she had—only a few hundred yuan.
Seeing the modest sum on the table, the young woman knew it was nowhere near enough. But she'd left in such a rush today that she hadn't brought much cash.
“I... I only have this... I'll make up the difference next time...”
“This is enough.” Ella smiled, stopping the woman’s apologies.
“Saving lives comes first. Take the child home and rest now.”
The woman left, clutching her son and expressing endless thanks.
Quietly settled back into the shop.
Ella tidied her tools, sealing the glass jar to dispose of it later. Her fingers still trembled slightly—the incantation had taken a tremendous toll.
The old woman approached, handing her a cup of tea.
“Thank you,” Ella said, accepting the cup and taking a sip. She was genuinely thirsty.
“Your healing technique is quite unique,” the old woman remarked with a smile. “That wasn't an ordinary purification spell. It was the ancient witch's ‘Blood Summoning Technique,’ wasn't it? It seems to have been lost long ago.”
Ella paused, her hand still in mid-motion. “You know so much. Nothing escapes your notice.”
“One learns much when one lives long enough.”
The old woman regarded her calmly. “Several syllables in the spell you just chanted... they were ancient. So ancient they're only recorded in the lineage of the royal witch clan.”
Ella set down her teacup. “What are you implying?”
The old woman smiled—a gentle smile, yet her eyes remained sharp. “I'm implying you're not just an ordinary herbalist from Moonlight Glade. And your child... is not just an ordinary child.”
She paused, then drew a card from within her shawl and placed it on the table.
The card was deep purple, its edges trimmed with silver filigree. Its face bore only a single symbol: a moon encircling a star.
“You can call me Margaret,” the old woman said, shifting from their earlier conversation. “Thank you for your hospitality today. Your tea is truly excellent. I hope next time we meet, you might send me some. I've grown quite fond of its flavor.”
She picked up her wooden cane and slowly made her way toward the door. As she reached the threshold, she glanced back at Leo.
“Child,” she said with a gentle smile, “your bloodline is a gift from the heavens, but it also comes with a responsibility. I hope that one day, you will be able to shoulder that responsibility.”
Then she pushed open the door and left.
The wind chimes tinkled softly.
The shop was left with only Ella and Leo.
Leo walked to the table and picked up the purple card. “Mom, who was she? I didn't understand what she was saying.”
“I don't know who she is either, but she seemed to hold great kindness toward us.”
...
At five in the evening, Ella prepared to close up.
As she made her final inventory check, the wind chime on the door tinkled again.
This time, a young man entered, dressed in a delivery uniform and carrying a cardboard box.
“Miss Catherine?” he asked tentatively.
“That's me.”
“Your package. Please sign here.”
Ella took the box—it felt heavy. She glanced at the sender's name, but it was blank.
“Who sent this?” Ella asked, puzzled.
“No idea. Anonymous sender.” The deliveryman handed her the receipt.
Ella signed it, and the deliveryman left.
She placed the box on the counter and carefully unwrapped it.
When the box was opened, Ella smiled.
Inside were all kinds of medicinal herbs—some common, some rare, and a few unique to the Moonlight Forest, hard to find in Darknight City.
There was no card, no note.
But Ella knew who sent it.
Sebastian. No one else.
Only he would do something like this.
“Is signing your name really that hard?” Ella chuckled to herself.
She took out the herbs one by one, sorting them neatly. Leo approached curiously, picking up a faintly glowing plant.
“What's this?”
“Evening primrose,” Ella replied. “A rare herb that blooms only on full moon nights. It's used in high-grade sedatives, and also...”
She paused before continuing, “It's the main ingredient in disguise potions.”
Leo looked up, puzzled. “Disguise?”
"Yes, disguise. Mom has been disguising herself too, ever since five years ago. “ Ella said plainly. ”It's safer this way."
“Is it because of... Dad?”
Ella paused, sorting the herbs. She looked at Leo, then reached out to stroke his little head.
“Leo,” she murmured softly, “there are things I'll tell you when you're older. But for now, just know that everything Mom does is to protect you, too.”
Leo nodded obediently, asking no more questions.
He placed the evening primrose back into the box, then wrapped his arms around Ella's legs.
Ella stroked his head again.
Mother and son exchanged a knowing smile; words were unnecessary.
Outside the window, the setting sun painted the sky orange-red.
The first day at the Garden of Thorns had finally ended.
But this was only the beginning—the beginning of vengeance. Still, Ella felt no need to rush.
After all, revenge was a long war.
She locked the door, flipped the sign to ‘Closed,’ and took Leo’s hand as they left.
Moonlight Lane gradually slipped into the night.
In the shadows at the other end of the alley, a black sedan had been parked all day.
Inside, Ryan Fantor stared at the closed shop door, his gaze unfathomable.
“Your Highness,” the old butler murmured, “shall we follow?”
Ryan remained silent for a long moment before finally saying, “Let's return.”
The car started silently and slipped into the night.
Ryan leaned back in his seat and closed his eyes.
Today, he received two reports.
One came from Starlight Kindergarten, detailing Leo's activation of the Trial Stone and the golden glow of the royal bloodline.
The other, from Commercial Intelligence, concerned “Thorn Garden” and its owner, Catherine. This preliminary investigation revealed Catherine’s background to be suspiciously clean, her origins oddly clear.
Too clean.
“When someone's background is this spotless, it either means they genuinely have nothing to hide—or they've disguised it perfectly.”
Catherine.
Real, or a facade?
- Writer
