Chapter 757
Valerium boasted the most advanced medical technology in the world, with
access to top-of-the-line equipment. Yet, even with all these resources, no one had been able to diagnose Brock’s condition. This alone proved it was no ordinary illness.
What were Caitlin’s two needles supposed to do? If a diagnosis could be made with a couple of pins, what was the point of all their expensive medical machines? The manufacturers might as well start producing needles instead.
The others in the room shared the doctors’ skepticism. Rosemary covered her mouth with her hand, affecting an air of aristocratic poise, but her eyes were filled with scorn. Celia might be naive and easy to fool, but Mrs. Palmer was not. Caitlin was playing a dangerous game. This was Valerium, and the Gonzales family wouldn’t be able to protect her here.
*That little bitch is as good as dead,* Rosemary thought with a surge of satisfaction. Her own brother was gone. Why should Stuart get to have descendants? Stuart deserved to die alone.
Even Mrs. Palmer felt a flicker of doubt. Two needles… could two needles really determine what was wrong with her son?
Only Celia’s faith in Caitlin remained unshaken. She took her mother’s arm. “Mother, Eldemerian acupuncture is truly amazing. My own recovery was thanks
to a combination of treatments that included it p>
Mrs. Palmer nodded, trying to hold on to that hope.
As Caitlin finished inserting the second needle, Francis narrowed his eyes and whispered to his companion, James, “I believe this is what they call acupuncture p>
“What’s acupuncture?” James asked.
Francis, who had once read a book on the history of traditional Eldemerian medicine, explained, “It’s an ancient practice from Eldermere, dating back to a time when their understanding of pharmacology was limited. So they developed this technique. The theory is that inserting needles into specific points on the body can alleviate symptoms p>
James nearly laughed out loud. “The people of Eldermere really are primitive. It’s the twenty-first century, and they’re still using such backward methods! Don’t they know that these ‘acupoints’ are pure fantasy p>
Western medicine did not recognize the existence of acupoints, dismissing them as unscientific nonsense. The other doctors watched Caitlin with the amusement of spectators at a circus.
Though they tried to keep their voices down, the room was so quiet that their whispers were audible. Caitlin, however, remained perfectly composed, her elegant face as calm and unruffled as a lake on a windless day.
Time ticked by.
Suddenly, Francis noticed something. The golden needles in Brock’s wrists were changing color.
“Look, the needles are turning black p>
The other doctors leaned in for a closer look. It was true. The needles were visibly darkening before their eyes.
At that moment, Caitlin removed them, her slender white fingers holding the now- blackened needles with an unexpected grace.
Francis immediately challenged her. “Well, Miss Gonzales, have you managed to diagnose Patriarch Brock’s condition p>
All eyes in the room fixed on Caitlin, waiting for her answer.
“Miss Gonzales, you’re not going to tell us that Lord Brock has a hereditary disease, are you?” James added with a smirk.
A few quiet chuckles rippled through the room. If her diagnosis was the same as theirs, what was the point of bringing her here? James’s question was a deliberate trap, designed to corner her.
“Actually, Miss Gonzales has another option,” someone else chimed in. “She could always say Patriarch Brock has been cursed p>
“All of you, be quiet!” Celia snapped. “Freya is in the middle of a diagnosis. It’s not your place to interfere p>
Francis and James fell silent, but a third doctor, Lance, did not. He wasn’t one of the Palmer family’s kept physicians. He was a royal doctor, dispatched by the Windsor family to treat Brock, and he was accustomed to a certain level of deference.
Lance smiled condescendingly. “Miss Palmer, I understand that Miss Gonzales is a dear friend of yours. But Patriarch Brock is your brother. Surely you wouldn’t prioritize your friendship over his well being would you?” His words were a veiled accusation, putting Celia in an impossible position. If she continued to defend Caitlin, she would appear to be disloyal to her own family.
His gaze then shifted to Caitlin, sharp and confrontational. “Miss Gonzales, perhaps you would be so kind as to enlighten us with your diagnosis of Patriarch Brock’s condition p>
Mrs. Palmer, her voice strained with worry, added, “Yes, Miss Gonzales, please tell us what’s wrong with Brock.” As a mother, all she wanted was to know what was afflicting her son. Only with a diagnosis could there be any hope for a cure.
All eyes were on Caitlin. She stood there, unflustered, and met Lance’s gaze directly. The light from the crystal chandelier above illuminated her face making her fair skin seem almost translucent After a moment, she parted her lips and spoke, her voice calm and steady.
“Mr. Brock’s illness is not a hereditary disease, nor is he cursed p>
Not hereditary? Not a curse? Then what was it? The onlookers exchanged puzzled glances, wondering what she was getting at.
Just as Mrs. Palmer was about to ask, Caitlin continued, “Mr. Brock has been
infected by a parasite known as Lasug. That is the cause of his coma p>
Her voice was not loud, but it carried clearly to every corner of the room.
A parasite?
The doctors immediately began murmuring among themselves. A sarcastic smile played on Lance’s lips. “Miss Gonzales, you seem to be underestimating Valerium’s medical capabilities. For the past three years, Patriarch Brock has undergone regular, comprehensive health screenings, which include parasite tests p>