"Speak."
"The Young Master of the Divine Medicine Valley is also part of Your Highness's harem. If we let him try to treat him, maybe... maybe we can still save Lord Mathias..."
Divine Medicine Valley's Young Master... Elara searched through the massive pile of memories from the original host's male companions and finally recalled that unlucky man.
In this world, aside from the various kingdoms ranked by power, the influence of martial clans and sects could not be underestimated.
Divine Medicine Valley was the most unique and respected among these forces.
It was known for its unmatched medical skills, said to bring bones back to life and revive the dead. No matter the power, if someone needed to survive or save a life, they'd have to beg them. Because of this, Divine Medicine Valley held a very high status. Even the mighty Autumn Moon Manor, leader of the martial world, treated them with great respect.
Unfortunately, their biggest mistake was their location.
They weren't based in the Central Plains where martial powers gathered, nor in a strong major kingdom. They had built their home in the small, remote, and closed-off Plumera Kingdom.
Worse still, their Young Master was unfortunate enough to get noticed by the original host during his first experience outside the valley.
Once seen in the capital of Plumera Kingdom, he was taken back to the palace. The original host used the safety of the valley as leverage. If he didn't behave and stay as a companion, troops would be sent to destroy the entire Divine Medicine Valley.
Elara recalled the way the original host dealt with Oswyn and couldn't help but click her tongue softly.
As long as someone looked good, the original host would never be picky.
But Oswyn was something else. Since entering the palace, he had never made things easy.
As the Young Master of Divine Medicine Valley, he had a deep understanding of medicine and poison. Even after being fully cleaned and prepared, he could make himself completely unconscious before getting into bed with the original host.
No matter how she punished him, he would never wake up.
After several failed attempts, the original host lost interest and rarely visited him again.
After remembering all this, Elara turned and walked out of the hall.
"Let's go. To the harem."
The court physician, still kneeling and holding his breath, froze. He couldn't believe it but quickly felt relieved and stood up.
He had thought the Princess would lash out in fury, accuse him of incompetence, or even have him beaten as a scapegoat. But instead, she agreed without question.
Oswyn, just like in Elara's memory, looked elegant and cold, dressed in simple white robes with a faint scent of herbs.
When he saw Elara, his cold eyes were filled with obvious disgust and resistance.
"Done playing with the living and now want to toy with the dead?"
He didn't show the slightest respect, standing there calmly without fear.
The medicine servants around him were already trembling in fear, shrinking behind him, both worried and anxious.
The "dead" Oswyn spoke of was how he used to drug himself into a near-death state whenever the original host wanted to abuse him.
Elara looked him up and down, then walked over to the main seat in the hall.
Her attendants quickly served her hot tea.
She took a sip, then met Oswyn's cold gaze.
"Dead people really are boring. I've kept you and your medicine servants in the harem all this time but have never gotten a moment of enjoyment from you. On top of that, I still have to keep my promise. Don't you think I'm the one at a loss here?"
Oswyn's brow twitched.
Whenever Elara visited before, she never said anything. She'd just whip him without a word. But today, she sat down and started talking like this.
And what did she mean she was the one who lost out?
He was the one being threatened and imprisoned. How did she lose anything?
Oswyn sneered coldly.
"Your Highness said back then, as long as I entered the harem and never left, you'd leave Divine Medicine Valley alone. Nothing was said beyond that."
She wanted to see pain in him. She could keep dreaming.
Elara nodded.
"Exactly. That's why I've been thinking, the promise I made was quite unfair to me."
As soon as she said that, Oswyn stepped forward, glaring fiercely at her.
"What do you mean? Are you planning to break the deal?"
Elara smiled and gently stopped Uno, who had instinctively moved in front to shield her.
In the past, anyone who dared speak to the original host like this would've been crushed and then tortured cruelly.
Her fingers were long and cool, lightly resting on Uno's hand. Uno paused.
Unless it was for punishment, the Princess rarely touched them.
Sensing she wasn't in the mood to torment today, Uno quietly stepped back and returned to being her silent shadow.
Elara withdrew her hand and looked at Oswyn again.
"Don't be in a rush. I'm not breaking the deal. I just want to change the terms."
Oswyn stared at her, thinking of her earlier talk about "dead people," and his expression turned even uglier.
"You never said I couldn't use medicine on myself."
He couldn't harm her for the sake of Divine Medicine Valley. But was he not even allowed to protect himself?
At that moment, Elara didn't respond, only watched him with interest.
From start to finish, she never showed anger.