Iris Dalton pursed her lips, releasing a bit of her spiritual power to focus intently on the man's hands.
His fingers were fair and slender, nimble and strong. A formidable power lay hidden within his bones and meridians.
But a thick layer of poison coated the inner walls of his blood vessels.
If it wasn't cleansed soon, his life would be in grave danger.
Two years to live, at most!
'Sigh, this guy...'
'He's so young and handsome, and he worked so hard to achieve his Ancient Martial Cultivation. It would be a terrible waste for him to die so young.'
Rhys Crawford saw the young woman remain silent and still, completely ignoring him. His delicate features relaxed into a smile, unbothered, as he pulled his hands back and slid them into his pockets.
The movement was smooth and stylish. Standing at a slight angle, he looked as elegant as a jade tree in the wind, like a refined and noble young lord from ancient times.
"See? I was right. The phrase 'a beauty that could topple nations' must have been coined to describe you, Iris. None of those young ladies from the noble clans in Valerium can compare," Rhys Crawford said with a gentle smile, his charming, almond-shaped eyes fixed on her face. "The Young Master sending me to look after you was a truly wise decision."
Iris Dalton froze and looked up. "You're going to look after me?"
'You must be joking.'
'A dying man...'
The young woman's face was fair and clear. As she tilted her head up slightly, a pure light glinted in her eyes.
Her gaze was filled with pity and regret.
"To be precise, *we* will be looking after you." Unaware of anything unusual, Rhys Crawford chuckled and pointed at Kyle Crawford. "He'll handle things on the inside, and I'll handle things on the outside."
Iris Dalton: "..."
'So awkward.'
'Not funny at all.'
"Ahem!" Beside them, Kyle Crawford frowned and discreetly shot Rhys Crawford a glare.
'I can't stand this frivolous guy. He's always making pointless jokes, yet the Young Master insists on partnering us up.'
Kyle Crawford stepped forward and explained patiently, "What the Young Master meant was, Miss Iris, you're not familiar with Stellan, so he'll feel more at ease with someone looking after you."
Young Master Crawford's reputation was even more formidable in Valerium; he was a figure feared by everyone in the circles of The Noble Clans.
Stellan wasn't the Crawford Family's territory, but as long as the Young Master had given the order, no one would dare lay a single finger on Iris Dalton.
The Young Master had never shown such concern for a member of the opposite sex.
Kyle Crawford secretly sized up Iris Dalton. She had used Dark Force to open the gate earlier, a clear application of an Ancient Martial Arts inheritance.
Ancient Martial Artists mostly lived in hidden places rich with Spiritual Energy. In a bustling metropolis like Stellan, they were almost never seen.
If an Ancient Martial Artist did appear, they were usually powerful experts whom the great families had spent a fortune and called in favors to hire as guardians.
He couldn't quite figure it out. Iris Dalton possessed profound skills in Ancient Martial Arts. Logically, she should be a figure revered by all The Noble Clans. Why would she be willing to be a fake daughter in the Sherwood Family, and even put up with nonsense from the Eldest Young Master Sherwood and Second Miss Sherwood?
The Sherwood Family's butler and servants didn't seem very friendly to her either.
"Iris, are you perhaps wondering about the Young Master? He's been very busy lately." Rhys Crawford's charming eyes crinkled with a smile, his calm expression holding a hint of probing curiosity.
The young woman wore a simple dress, her fair legs exposed, and a pair of little yellow duck slippers on her feet.
She was young, after all, with delicate skin and clear eyes.
Though she had an exquisitely beautiful and pure face, when she glanced over, her expression had a kind of innocent, dazed quality that seemed oblivious to the ways of the world.
It was a contrast few men could resist. No wonder the Young Master had fallen into her trap, completely under her thumb.
Iris Dalton's gaze met his, and she saw the deep smile in his eyes, along with a fleeting, gossipy expression.
"Ahem, the Young Master's ranking in Valerium has gone up again, and his net worth is soaring. There are always young ladies from noble clans trying to get close to him. Uh, if it's not a 'chance encounter' today, it's a blind date tomorrow. He's too busy to even catch a break."
They were standing close, and Rhys Crawford noticed a faint blush creep across the young woman's fair skin, while a flash of astonishment crossed her eyes.
Beside them, Kyle Crawford started breaking out in a cold sweat.
'Spreading rumors about the Young Master behind his back, do you have a death wish?'
'Can't you see Miss Iris is unhappy? Shut up already!'
The young woman furrowed her brow, a hazy mist seemingly rising in her eyes. She asked, "Have you heard if Ryan went on a blind date with Claire Sherwood? She's Stellan's number one socialite."
She was curious and wanted to hear the gossip.
"..."
Rhys Crawford couldn't smile anymore. He was suddenly at a loss for words as a chill shot up his spine, as if he were being targeted by an icy gaze.
Kyle Crawford's glare was cold enough to kill!
Rhys Crawford: "..."
"Iris, don't take it seriously, hehe. I just like to run my mouth when I'm bored. Don't worry, the Young Master doesn't have any women around him. Not even a female mosquito," he said, forcing an awkward smile until the muscles on his face went stiff.
Kyle Crawford sneered from the side.
'You're dead meat. Miss Iris isn't going to forgive you.'
Seeing Iris Dalton's serious expression, Rhys Crawford felt he was in a tight spot. He suddenly remembered something and pulled a small box from his pocket. "Iris, your package. The Young Master asked me to give it to you."
The package was only palm-sized, a bit shorter than a cell phone.
Iris Dalton's gaze fell on the package. When she recognized the seal on the box, her expression softened slightly.
'The Clownfish's body. It shipped on time, just as expected.'
'Good.'
Seeing Iris Dalton's attention shift, Rhys Crawford secretly let out a breath of relief and wiped away his sweat.
'That was close!'
'Iris almost started hating me.'
Kyle Crawford shot him another glare.
'What's wrong with this guy? He just had to tease the poor girl.'
'Serves him right!'
Holding the package, Iris Dalton turned her gaze back to Rhys Crawford, her faint smile slowly fading into a serious expression. "You've been feeling dizzy and having trouble breathing lately, haven't you?"
Rhys Crawford: "???"
'That's my private business! Who's the blabbermouth who let it slip?!'
"The layer of poison on your blood vessel walls is too thick. It's already affecting your heart and brain. Your IQ will also slowly decline."
"..."
"Someone as kind as me can't just stand by and watch someone die. It's a life, after all."
"..."
Iris Dalton took a hair-thin Golden Needle from her phone case. It looked like a single strand of golden hair.
"Pygmy Fish, his blood vessels are yours." She grabbed Rhys Crawford's wrist and pricked the Golden Needle into his blood vessel.
Rhys Crawford: "!!!"
'Where's the needle? How did it disappear?'
'Did it go into my blood vessel?!'
His face instantly turned pale. 'Did I offend Iris with what I said just now?'
'Is the little lady getting her revenge on me like this?'
'Cough, cough...'
He desperately wanted to struggle, but terrifyingly, he couldn't break free!
Kyle Crawford's eyes widened beside them. "Miss Iris, is that a nanoparticle robot?"
That was no ordinary Golden Needle. It was covered in many scale-like particles and embedded with complex microchips.
It could diagnose and treat illnesses!
It was most effective for treating blood vessels and tumors, with a 99% success rate.
It was known as the "Vascular Scavenger"!
It had another praiseworthy nickname: the AI Miracle Doctor!
"How can you take care of others when you're in such poor health yourself? Besides, I don't want anyone I know to have a short life. It's bad luck!" Iris Dalton released Rhys Crawford's wrist and said with a straight face.
Rhys Crawford: "???"
He was completely bewildered now, his brain not working properly.
"Don't worry. Once the poison is cleared out, your IQ will gradually recover," Iris Dalton said, giving him a reassuring look.
"..."
"You lucky bastard, you don't even realize you've hit the jackpot! What are you standing there stunned for? Thank her!" Kyle Crawford, having just recovered from his shock, couldn't help but roast Rhys Crawford. His gaze toward Iris Dalton grew even more respectful.
"Miss Iris, the Young Master knows the Sherwood Family has a lot of people and the environment is noisy. He was afraid you wouldn't be comfortable, so he had a villa prepared nearby. You can move in anytime. I will arrange three nutritious meals a day to ensure your body is conditioned to its optimal state."
Iris Dalton was a little surprised. "Ryan has a villa here?"
Kyle Crawford nodded earnestly. "It's the one right next to the Sherwood Family's. It's the 'king' of the entire villa complex. It's already been cleaned; you just need to buy some daily necessities and you can move in."
'The king of the complex!?'
Iris Dalton glanced at the magnificent and imposing villa next door. It was at least three times larger than the Sherwood Villa!
It had an outdoor swimming pool in the front, a Swan Lake in the back, and two tall, lush fruit trees in the yard, creating a scene of vibrant greenery.
She swallowed, unable to contain her excitement.
*
Iris Dalton entered the villa, carrying a thermos in one hand and the package in the other.
The butler's sharp eyes caught sight of the package. When he saw the seal on the wrapping, a jolt went through his entire body.
His eyes flickered, and a look of disbelief crossed his face.
'That seal... it's the exclusive mark of the Rare Materials Laboratory at Lumin-Umbra University!'
He remembered the Eldest Miss once brought home a stack of file boxes for her materials, and they had been stamped with that very same mark.
At the time, the Eldest Miss was afraid the maids would damage the boxes while cleaning, so she specifically instructed the butler to clean them himself.
For those few days, he had carefully dusted the file boxes with a feather duster.
In his mind, those file boxes with the glittering gold seal were more important than ancestral tablets; he practically wanted to burn incense and worship them.
The butler stared at the package in Iris Dalton's hand without blinking, his eyes practically glued to it.
'Why does the package the Third Miss is holding have that seal on it?'
He was bewildered. Then a thought suddenly struck him. His gaze turned sharp, and his face darkened.
"Third Miss!" he called out sharply to the young woman. "Don't just take things that were mailed from the Eldest Miss's university. Packages have designated recipients. If you damage something of the Eldest Miss's, you won't be able to bear the responsibility, and you'll just bring trouble to the Sherwood Family."
The butler felt a suffocating pressure in his chest. He had been bottling up his frustration to the breaking point and could no longer tolerate it.
'The Third Miss is simply outrageous. She's crude, ill-behaved, and has no manners. She really needs to be taught a lesson!'
"You mean this?" Iris Dalton held up the package, raising an eyebrow and blinking a couple of times with that same unreadable, dazed expression.
'This butler flies off the handle at the drop of a hat.'
'Why, though?'
She couldn't quite figure it out.
But seeing the butler's constipated expression, it seemed he was suggesting the package in her hand belonged to Claire Sherwood?
'So that's why he lost his cool.'
'Heh...'
'What a psycho!'