Celia took the file and pored over it, her expression growing darker with every page.

She blamed herself-blamed herself for not double-checking, for taking Ann's word at face value without any investigation.

Who would have thought? The real schemer was Ann all along.

Ann's intentions couldn't be clearer now: she wanted to use Celia to drag Caitlin down. Disgusting.

Celia felt as if she'd swallowed a fly-lodged halfway down her throat, impossible to spit out or swallow.

With a sharp smack, Celia slapped Ann's file down onto the table, anger twisting her features.

Ann had always been Tammie's favorite sister. That was why Celia had never suspected her. But now? She'd spent her days training hawks and nearly got her eyes pecked out.

Birds of a feather flock together, she thought bitterly. Clearly, Tammie wasn't someone to trust either.

Jennifer spoke up at once. "Miss Palmer, do you want me to deal with Ann?"

"No." Celia narrowed her eyes, a dangerous glint flickering in them. "Once I'm back on my feet, I'll handle her myself."

"Understood," Jennifer replied, then hesitated. "Miss Palmer, I just saw the housekeeper leave with that prescription. Are you really planning to take the medicine Caitlin gave you?"

Whether it was postnatal complications or epilepsy, modern medicine had written them off as incurable. Over the years, the Palmer family had brought in countless specialists to treat Celia's seizures, all to no avail. They couldn't even manage her symptoms, let alone cure her.

Caitlin had saved Celia's life once, but Jennifer still doubted whether Caitlin actually had the skills to cure her. Besides, people from Valerium tended to scoff at Eldermere's traditional remedies, considering them a backward relic. In their minds, only underdeveloped countries still relied on bitter brews from ancient recipes; modern nations had long since moved past such antiquated treatments. "Yes," Celia said, nodding. "I'll start the treatment today."

Jennifer's eyes flashed with uncertainty. "Miss Palmer, I think this decision is a little rushed. You've never tried traditional medicine before, and you've never even consulted a practitioner. Maybe you should tell your mother before you go ahead."

Celia was the Palmer family's only healthy heir after all. And everyone knew Valerium's medical technology was unmatched-that's why so

many Students from Eldermen no

came to Valerium every year to

study medicine. There was no way Caitlin could be better than

Valerium's doctors. Impossible.

"No need," Celia cut her off. "I'll let my mother know once I've recovered."

Jennifer frowned slightly. "Miss

Palmer, you know as well as I do-Eldermere's medicine has always lagged behind. Miss Gonzales may have saved your life, but that just means she' a good person who did the right thing and protected your privacy. It doesn prove she's some kind of miracle worker."

Celia's condition wasn't usually fatal. Anyone with basic medical training could stabilize her during an episode. For her to put her faith in Caitlin's prescription was something Jennifer hadn't anticipated.

"Maybe we've been wrong all along," Celia said. "Maybe Eldermere's medicine isn't so backward. In fact, I'm starting to suspect Dr. Oracle is from Eldermere."

Celia had come to Eldermere for one reason to find Dr. Oracle. Her only brother was wasting away, teetering on the edge of death. Dr. Oracle was his last hope. All the informants agreed: the trail led to Eldermere.

"From Eldermere?" Jennifer looked stunned. "No, that can't be! Dr. Oracle is a legend-how could he possibly be from Eldermere? He's never revealed where he's from, but I'm sure he's Valerian, just visiting Eldermere for now."

Dr. Oracle was a ghost story come to life-a legend whispered about on every continent. He'd trekked alone into malaria-ridden jungles to save the dying. He'd braved bullet-ridden battlefields, healing soldiers under an alias and vanishing before anyone could thank him. Some remote villages had even built statues in his honor, lighting candles and offering prayers to the man who had saved so many.

Because Dr. Oracle had never revealed his nationality, every country claimed him as their own. Some said he was from Valerium, others argued for Aethelgard or Meridian. And yes, some believed he hailed from Eldermere. After all, he'd lived there for years, and the rumors had only grown with time.

But no one truly believed Dr. Oracle could be from Eldermere. To the rest of the West, Eldermere was a poor, backward place-how could such a miraculous doctor possibly come from there? Dr. Oracle could belong to any nation, they said just not Eldermere.

"I used to believe that too," Celia said slowly. "I thought Eldermere was too poor, too barren, to produce a doctor like Oracle. But meeting Miss Gonzales changed

my perspective. Tell me, Jennifer-have you noticed something about Eldermere since we arrived?"

"What do you mean?" Jennifer asked.

"Eldermere isn't that poverty-stricken, backward country we imagined," Celia replied. "It's changed. And think about it—if Dr. Oracle weren't from here, why would he choose to stay in Eldermere all these years?"

Jennifer looked at her and smiled. "Miss Palmer, I think you're only seeing the good in Eldermere because Miss Gonzales helped you. Or as the locals would say: you're seeing the whole house in a better light just because you like one of its rooms."