Elara hadn't spoken yet when the curtain at the front of the carriage was suddenly lifted. Oswyn stepped in holding a bowl of medicine, his face tight. He placed the bowl heavily on the small table in front of Elara and stared straight at her, as if he didn't see Imani behind her, practically holding her in his arms.
"Drink the medicine. I'll start acupuncture after that. If anyone gets in my way while I'm treating you, they'll bear the consequences."
Elara didn't say anything.
She looked at Oswyn, who was surrounded by cold air. Ever since he and Imani had bumped into each other in her bedroom, they seemed to have become enemies. Every time they met, they glared at each other, constantly finding chances to trip the other up along the way.
She didn't know exactly what had happened between them, but it worked in her favor. Whenever Oswyn was around, Imani would get angry and find an excuse to leave, saving her the trouble of acting.
Imani's happiness at finally getting Elara into his arms quickly faded when he saw Oswyn.
This so-called young master from the Divine Doctor Valley was always clinging to the princess, using his medical skills as an excuse. And every time he was just about to get closer to her, this guy would show up.
Coincidence? He didn't believe that.
That man just wanted to push him away from the princess.
Imani held back his anger and gave Oswyn a cold glare.
But then he remembered the real reason for this trip. Elara had left the capital to recover her health, and he had seen for himself how weak she had been that day.
He couldn't help feeling concerned. She was his future wife. Of course she had to be healthy.
He bit his lip at the thought and looked down. Seeing that Elara wasn't reacting to Oswyn's entrance, he took the opportunity to lean down and gently kiss her on the side of her forehead.
His lips barely touched her before he carefully placed her back onto the soft cushion. He adjusted her robe and, without a word, met Oswyn's angry glare with a calm look before lowering his eyes and backing out of the carriage.
"Princess, I'll be outside guarding you."
As Imani left the carriage, just before the curtain dropped behind him, the whole carriage swayed suddenly. He quickly steadied himself but didn't expect a jade ornament hanging from the curtain to hit his shoulder.
His body shuddered as if it struck an old wound. Pain twisted his face for a moment.
But only for a moment. Besides Elara, who had been watching after his kiss, no one noticed. He quickly composed himself and stepped out of the carriage.
Elara looked at the swaying curtain and frowned slightly.
"Hmph, still staring? Got bitten by something and you're not even worried about infection. What if your weak body gets worse?"
Elara turned her gaze back and saw that Oswyn had already sat beside her angrily. He had opened the acupuncture box beside her. His pale fingers picked up a thin silver needle, passed it over a flame, then stabbed it hard into a soft practice cushion next to him.
Elara didn't say a word.
Now she was a little worried about her own skin.
But she hadn't said anything from beginning to end. Why was he taking it out on her?
She looked at Oswyn's cold and angry profile. She wanted to tell him to be gentler with the needles, because her body was really weak and couldn't compare to those soft practice cushions. If he wasn't careful, he might actually hurt her. But seeing his face, she swallowed the words. Saying it might just make things worse.
Still, she had to admit Oswyn's treatments these past days had helped. Her body was stronger now. She didn't feel tired or weak as easily.
So Elara stayed quiet, took off her outer robe, stretched out her arms and legs, and quietly prepared for the acupuncture.
Because she needed needles on so many points, she had long gotten used to stripping down to just her chest wrap and underpants during treatment. Then she would spread out her limbs for Oswyn to begin.
The chest wrap was specially made by her request for easier acupuncture. It looked like a modern soft bra without wires but much more modest, almost like a short inner top that wrapped around her entire chest, leaving only a strip of her pale waist exposed.
The look wasn't that different from wearing a crop top and shorts in modern summertime. Elara didn't feel bothered at all. But Oswyn, raised in this world, always blushed whenever he saw her like that.
Elara's current body was only sixteen years old. When she took off her clothes, the powerful aura she usually carried seemed to fade. Because she had been sick for so long, her skin was so pale it was nearly transparent, and her limbs were slim and fragile. The strip of her waist that showed was especially delicate and soft.
Oswyn was two years older than her. He was still a youth, but his frame had already grown into that of a mature man, much larger than Elara's.
Before every treatment, Oswyn would remind himself over and over that he was a doctor. Doctors didn't see gender. That was something his master had drilled into him since he was young.
Every time he touched her skin and felt the soft curves of her developing body, and saw that pale waist she exposed, Oswyn couldn't help but lose focus. Her waist was slender and soft, shaped just right to fit perfectly in his hand. That faint warmth under his palm always made him feel a bit flustered every time he pressed down on her waist.
He would think to himself, back when she dragged him into the princess's manor, his innocence as a man had already been taken away. From now on, he couldn't belong to anyone but her. So even if he saw all of her, so what? He already had her mark on him.
Now, as Elara lay in front of him without any shame, fully exposed and completely unguarded, Oswyn felt his ears burn and his heartbeat race. That stuffy feeling in his chest caused by Imani earlier slowly faded in front of this obedient body.
He glanced at her quickly, heartbeat out of control, and muttered under his breath, "Shameless…" He didn't meet her gaze and looked down to pick up the spare silver needle.
When he finally touched her body with the needle, his hands were much gentler, as if afraid to hurt her. His focused expression was nothing like his earlier aggression. As he brushed the spot that would be pierced, his fingers moved so softly it almost felt tender.
Oswyn was always like this. Harsh with his words but soft-hearted. After spending so many days with him, Elara had already figured him out.
So even when he looked angry earlier, she didn't take it seriously. When he started inserting the needles and she felt no pain, she just closed her eyes and nearly fell asleep.
By the time she woke up, the needles had all been inserted. Oswyn was removing the last silver needle from her body. Then he picked up a warm cloth he had prepared and gently wiped her clean. Looking at her drowsy, lazy state, he made a snide comment again, but his body moved on its own to sit behind her.
He gently hugged her while helping her get dressed. Once her clothes were properly arranged, he helped her sit up straight.
Elara had slept very well. Still half-asleep, she leaned against him and let him do everything. Once she was fully dressed, Oswyn placed her back onto the soft seat and picked up the tools to leave.
But just then, a loud shout and the sound of fighting came from outside the carriage.
Elara paused but didn't react much. She simply lifted the window curtain to glance outside.
She saw General Qi riding a strong warhorse at the front, holding a long spear and pointing toward a group of bandits who had suddenly appeared.
These bandits were clearly refugees who had turned to crime.
Elara had already been traveling for four or five days since leaving the Plumera capital. She had come across over ten groups of bandits and had nearly gotten used to it by now.