As Ron’s mother, Elenda naturally wanted revenge at all costs when her son was harmed and threatened by outsiders.
But as the head of the Castrellero family, Elenda couldn’t act on impulse and risk dragging the entire household into ruin.
Since Ron refused to say anything, Elenda didn’t press further.
She merely stroked his hair with heartache, murmuring how her little prince had finally grown up.
Even without magic, Ron was trying his best to shield the family from the storm.
After his wounds were treated, Ron returned to his room and lay down on his bed.
The poison bottle by his bedside hadn’t even been taken away.
He stared at the empty vial, then at the strange mark from the blood pact on the back of his hand.
Ron let out a long sigh.
Thanks to his performance tonight, he didn’t have to worry about someone forcing a second dose of poison down his throat—at least for now.
But even though he managed to handle the Phinip family for the time being,The inconveniences of having no magic were far worse than he had imagined.
That was a flaw no noble title could cover.
He couldn’t avenge himself, couldn’t seek justice, because doing so might implicate his entire family.
Even his engagement had become more of a death sentence than a lifeline.
Still—Tomorrow, he’d finally meet the doctor.
“A doctor from Xuzu, huh?”
He hoped the man could bring some new hope.
With expectations for tomorrow and the future, Ron closed his eyes in exhaustion.
The next morning.
Perhaps the peril of yesterday had been too much, as Ron slept well past sunrise.
By the time the sun was high in the sky and it was nearly lunchtime, he still showed no signs of waking.
The maid waiting outside had no choice but to push open the door and walk to his bedside.
“Time to get up~”
Her soft whisper tickled his ears.
Ron’s ears quickly flushed red.
Seeing his reaction, the maid let out a gentle laugh.
“Still not getting up?”
She then leaned closer to his ear and blew gently.
“Phew~”
The next second—
Ron jolted upright like a startled rabbit, tumbling off the bed in panic!
“Perica?!”
“Wh-What are you doing?!”
“Weren’t you under confinement?!”
Blushing furiously, Ron clutched his ears.
“Perica” just covered her mouth and gave a wicked smile.
“Master’s ears really are as sensitive as ever~”
Seeing that teasing, disdainful grin on her face, a certain part of Ron’s body reacted—he stiffened!
“You damn maid… Looks like you’re asking for a lesson!”
“Oh~?”
“And what kind of lesson were you thinking of teaching me?”
As she said this, Perica pinched the hem of her skirt and lifted it slightly.
Her suggestive come-get-me pose threw Ron into complete disarray.
Wait—was Perica always this bold?!
Just as Ron was being thoroughly toyed with…
Thwack! A chop landed squarely on the flirty Perica’s head!
“Idiot. Stop teasing the young master.”
Another Perica walked in, holding Ron’s clothes.
Two Pericas?!
Just as Ron was still trying to make sense of what was happening, the real Perica let out an exasperated sigh.
“I’m guessing you got it wrong again.”
“She’s my younger sister, Perike.”
“I’m the real Perica.”
With her reminder, Ron finally snapped out of it.
No wonder their personalities were so different.
The scolded Perike held her head, stuck out her tongue at Ron, and left the room.
While helping Ron freshen up, the real Perica turned serious.
“Young Master,”
“That doctor is already waiting in the reception room.”
Hearing this, Ron’s sleepy eyes sharpened instantly.
“Take me to see him, now.”
Under Perica’s guidance, a fully dressed Ron made his way to meet the Eastern doctor.
Unlike everyone else’s Western-style attire, the man wore a long grey-white robe full of traditional ethnic flair.
Hanfu?
Ron blinked in surprise.
The moment he saw the man’s outfit, he froze slightly.
Seeing Ron approach, the skinny, monkey-like middle-aged man stood up, removed his hat, and bowed.
“Master Ron, a pleasure to meet you~”
After a brief pause, Ron couldn’t help but ask about the man’s background.
“Sir, where exactly are you from?”
“And how did you end up coming here to treat me?”
Faced with the question, the elderly man sat down generously and began speaking with ease:
“My name is Li Pei, I’m from Xuzu. My ancestors were doctors who traveled with merchant caravans. One of them fell in love with a local, and so the family settled in a coastal city.”
“So technically, I’m a mix of Vitania and Xuzu heritage.”
“As for why I ended up treating you—”
“Well, your family offered the right price, haha~”
Li Pei’s words made Ron nod repeatedly.
“I see.”
He spoke while sitting down beside Li Pei.
“Well then, let’s skip the small talk. Doctor Li, please begin the examination.”
As he spoke, Ron rolled up his sleeve.
And Li Pei, fitting perfectly into Ron’s stereotypical image of a traditional doctor, began taking his pulse.
During the process, Li Pei closed his eyes tightly.
Ron, meanwhile, kept quietly sizing him up.
Although he couldn’t be 100% sure, Ron was about 80% convinced this guy was lying.
He might really be mixed race, but there’s no way he lived in a coastal city.
And why?
His skin was just way too dark.
Even if he were ethnically Asian, his skin was much darker than average.
Let alone for someone of mixed Asian and Caucasian descent.
This level of sun damage—this weathered skin condition—Ron could tell: this guy had been out there, traveling under the blazing sun, making a living on the road.
Definitely not some settled coastal physician.
Was he just another wandering con man?
The more Ron observed him, the more his hope began to wither.
And sure enough, just as he suspected—Li Pei was a fraud.
Yes, he was from Xuzu.
Yes, his ancestors had been doctors.
And yes, he had inherited some basic Eastern medical knowledge.
But nowhere near enough to cure someone with zero magical affinity!
If he were truly skilled, would he really be running around taking random gigs like this?
No—Li Pei had shown up today with only one goal: scam them for a quick payday.
Soon he planned to scribble down a few traditional remedies, have Ron take them for now, and then claim “slow effect, needs long-term use.”
Once he got the down payment Elenda promised, he’d vanish.
As Li Pei was daydreaming about his getaway plan, however— something in Ron’s pulse caught him off guard.
“…Hmm?”
Li Pei’s brows furrowed tightly as he kept his eyes shut— a look of real confusion crossing his face.
“Is this it?”
Ron, seeing his ‘fortune-teller’ act begin, immediately guessed what was coming.
“You’re about to say something like, ‘Young Master, your pulse is quite unusual,’ right?”
He propped his cheek on one hand, predicting the script.
But to his surprise—Li Pei suddenly pulled his hand away, drenched in sweat.
“…Young Master Ron.”
“You do realize it, don’t you?”
“There’s rich magical energy in the atmosphere. We live in a world permeated by magic—it influences everything. It should be impossible for a person to have absolutely no magic inside them…”
As Li Pei explained, Ron let out a casual “Oh?”
“So, what exactly are you trying to say?”
Prompted by Ron’s follow-up, Li Pei wiped the sweat from his forehead with a handkerchief.
“Your body—doesn’t contain even the slightest trace of magical energy!”
“Your system is so pure… so pure that it’s entirely untouched by magical contamination…”
“This… this isn’t normal!”
“I don’t think this is simply a case of zero magical affinity anymore.”
Li Pei’s hand trembled slightly.
Ron, however, remained as calm as ever.
“That theory’s already been proposed by other doctors.”
“How about you give me something fresh—some unique Eastern insight?”