Chapter 256
Chapter 256
By the time Athena belatedly realized something was amiss, it was already too late.
The very villagers Athena had once painstakingly healed not only stoppert soeking her help, but now glared at hervaith i
Some even returned the medicines they had taken fum Alliena. Their anger was plain to see it if they wanted nothing more to do withther
One of the villagers shoved the medicines back at Atheria and snapped, “We won’t take your medicine anymore. Haveitbade?
Another villager tried, “Exactly! She’s just using us as stepping stones We’re not falling for your tricks.”
“So you’re that cast off who ended up in the army camp. And I thought you were just being kind, but it turns out you just want to clean up your
reputation”
One villager bellowed furiously. “Four dollars for just this handful of herbs? You think my money grows on trees? Give it back!”
Seething with indignation, the villagers tumed against Athena one after another
They even branded Athena as utterly worthless
Upon seeing those returned medicinal herbs, Athena felt
ther heart were bleeding.
All the medicinal formulas she had painstakingly developed through countless sleepless nights to heal those people were now being ruthlessly trampled
underfoot.
Athena hadn’t even covered her costs for those herbs. She
he just to
I took a token payment.
A single packet of the medicine was worth over a hundred dollars
Even so, she was still branded as an unscrupulous profiteer.
Athena thought in disbelief. “How could everything change so drastically in just one day?
Trina couldn’t hold back her tears. “Miss Monson, they’re utterly shameless! When they were sick, they called you a miracle healer, but now that they’re almost cured. They bite the hand that led them!”
While others had no idea how much Athena had struggled, Trina knew it all too wel
Athena pulled an all–nighter perfecting these medicinal formulas.
yon just four to six hours of sleep each day, Athena would immediately throw herself into endless patient consultations
Getting by o
Even with her students helping, Athena was utterly overwhelmed by the food of patients.
Those prescriptions contained two key ingredients called Mugwort and Boneset, which were no longer available in the capital
Athena had sent Jessa to a neighboring town to procure the herbs, but Jessa had yet to return,
Just when the epidemic was nearly under control, Willow came up with some so–called masks and started spreading wild rumors about them.
Trina clenched her jaw and s
Ispat in disgust. “That walking disaster! She’s completely ruined all of your efforts, Miss Athena,”
Athena said to Trina, “Never mind them. Hurry up and gather these harbs. Some can still be used.”
Athena’s heartached. To her, those medicinal herbs were priceless treasures.
However, those ignorant villagers threw the herbs on the ground without so much as second thought.
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17:03 Wed: 16 Jul 2
Chapter 256
Trina crouched down to gathis the beds, andthing with per. “Willow Morgon, trould just stangle yourbja
Yet, Athena’s nose efforts wood entirely unstppreciated by the villagers.
They stubbornly believed Albea was profiteering from the national crisis
The number of villagers coming to return their medicine kejt pruning
“Give us our money back now! Rehund!”
Despite Trina’s and her students‘ desperate pleas, villa
kept coming in droves to pin their medicin
Just then, a woman’s crisp, commanding voice cut through the air, “You accuse.
e Athena of making blood money? Let me tell you, the real black hearted
ones here are you.
The crowd turned in surprise toward the source of the voice, only to see a stunningly elegant,exquisitely dressed noblewoman appe graceful steps.
Someone recognized the woman and gasped in alarm, eyes wide with fear. “That’s… That’s Lady Fiona, L
Fiona, Lond ticolas’s WN”
Fiona Monson strode forward, flanked by over a dozen attendants in two neat rows, with several maids and matrons in tow
lbyd
In her hands, she held a counting board. She casually took a packet of herbs from one of the villagers, then she rapidly calculated on the counting board.
Fiona said, “Ephedra, 15grams–100 dollars; Mugwort, 15grams–100 dollars; Valerian, 10grams–80dollars; Mullein, Sgrams–35dollars.
“All together, these cost over 300 dollars. The Viscountess only charged you 30 dollars and didn’t even charge the consultation fee. If you insist on a refund, you’d better retum the medicine you’ve taken as well”
The burly man who had come to retum the medicine stood there utterly dumbfounded, struck speechless for what felt like an age
Fiona snapped her counting board shut with a sneer. “You wanted a refund, didn’t you? Cat got your tongue now? Oh, don’t forget the consultation fee: You’ll need to pay that in full as well
The burly man stood there, mouth agape for a long moment before finally managing to stammer out, “How is that possible! How could some lousy herbs cost so much?”
He knew full well how tough it was for poor folks to see a doctor.
Just one visit to the doctor could leave a family broke,
Just the doctor’s house call for alone costs a hundred dollars, a small fortune for the common folk. How could they ever afford that?
Fiona’s expression turned icy as she snapped, “if you don’t believe me, bring in someone you can trust.”
Fiona had a physician from Harmony Apothecary brought before her and declared, “This physician has decades of experience running an apothecary and knows these medicinal ingredients better than anyone. Let him verify whether my calculations are true.”
The old physician merely glanced at the herbs and waved his hand. “The Viscountess shows remarkable benevolence, paying from herpocket to treat the people. I’m utterly humbled. Why, just these herbs cost over one hundred thousand dollars!”
At that, the old physician finally lost his temper
He pointed at the villagers returning their medicine and shouted, “You brainless parasites! You’ll believe any nonsense people tell you. You put your faith
in those ridiculous masks instead of accepting that it was the Viscountess’s medical skills that cured you.
“If I were the Viscountess, I wouldn’t give a damn about your lives! You ungrateful wretches!”
The old physician’s harsh rebuke made the crowd falter, their earlier bravado lading
17:03 Wed, 16 Jul GO
Chapter 256
They no longer clamored for refunsts as they had just no
now. More importantly, now realized the questione in the Cands was perundi
Some slipped away quietly, while others forced awkward smiles, too minbarayed to meet anyone’s syes
Still others were expressions of deep shame
The crowd quietly dispersed, and peace returned to Saint Joga Clinic.
Standing aside, Athena’s eyes lit up with surprise as she looked at Fiona Meyer in her wildest dessarini come to her aid.
imsigned that Fiona pould be the firstia
“What… What brings you here?” Mhena couldn’t bring herself to call her name, so she just offered an awkward smile.
n here purely in my personal
Fiona sensed her discomfort and said warmly, “I hadn’t come, I’m afraid these people would have to you to place. I’m he capacity. If you don’t mind, just call me Fiona.”
“Alright, Fiona,” Athena smiled at her, but a puzzled look crossed her face. But how did you get in? outside.”
Fiona’s lips curved into a subtle smile as she gestured for Athena to look outside.
he place is completely surrounded by villagers
Athena looked out to see Xander’s attendants firmly guarding the gate, while he himself strode toward her with measured, commanding steps.
Xander had a faint smile on his lips, but his eyes sparkled with barely concealed pride.
Xander’s expression practically screamed at Athena, “Come on, aren’t you going to praise me?”
“If it weren’t for Prince Xander’s help, I doubt I could have made it inside,” Fiona said, a knowing twinkle in her eyes. She could tell Xander was truly smitten with Athena.
“Otherwise, he wouldn’t have gone to such lengths for Athena, Fiona thought
Xander came to a halt before Athena, his brow furrowing deeply at the sight of the discarded medicinal herbs scattered across the ground.
Xander muttered
“What an appalling
ng waste of precious resources.
No one could have anticipated that Xander, the ground.
in all his noble dignity, would actually humble himself to stoop down and gather the scattered herbs from
Such a remarkable down–to–earth gesture utterly shattered the icy, unapproachable image Xander had long held among the commando
Xander rose and carefully placed the herbs in Athena’s hands. “These medicines were crafted by your hands. What others discard, I shall treasure.
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