A thicker cloud of displeasure crossed Lucy's eyes as her voice trailed off. A glance darted to Celeste; his gaze was sharp. “Did you perform acupuncture on Alaric?” His tone was cold, tinged with suspicion.

Celeste met his eyes calmly. “Acupuncture is the most appropriate treatment for his condition right now.”

“But his condition hasn’t stabilized. This is the best hospital in Longdale; none of the traditional medicine specialists here have dared to try acupuncture. Why were you in such a rush?” Damien stepped forward, imitation creeping into his voice. “What if something goes wrong? Can you take responsibility for Grandpa’s…”

Adrian’s bow tightened. “Ms. Morin, is this true?”

Celeste didn’t flinch. Her gaze remained steady as she nodded. “It is.”

“How confident are you?” His voice dropped, steady and unreadable as he studied the sharp line of her brows. “One hundred percent.”

The moment the words left her mouth, Adrian stiffened. He’d spoken to the attending physician the night before. Even the head of traditional medicine had expressed hesitation. The only person who’d been mentioned as a possible solution was a skilled female practitioner nicknamed Cloudy—someone who, rumor had it, might be able to turn things around. But he hadn’t realized that person was Celeste.

“How elegant,” Damien snapped. “Grandpa’s been unconscious for two days! Even the top specialists are at a loss, and you act like it’s nothing?”

His voice jarred Adrian from his thoughts. Adrian looked back at Celeste. She remained quiet, neither defensive nor apologetic.

“Exactly,” Lucy added, her tone sharp. “Mr. Wrenford Senior’s condition isn’t stable. Even if you were confident, you should have spoken to his doctor first. What if…”

“Acupuncture is the only method that can stimulate Alaric’s meridians effectively in his current state,” Celeste said, her voice low but firm. “He’s old. His blood vessels aren’t as active as they once were. That’s why modern treatment hasn’t been effective. Acupuncture can ease his symptoms more quickly.” “You still should have informed the doctors…”

“I already said—I treated him because I could help,” Celeste cut in without hesitation. Her clinic wasn’t officially open yet. Though she had a medical license, the attending doctor would have… That was exactly why she had kept quiet.

“Celeste, if anything happens to Grandpa…” Damien started, but Adrian’s voice cut through.

“Enough. Since Mr. Morin says she’s confident, we’ll wait until the session is over before passing judgment.”

Damien cursed, startled. Adrian had already walked past him to the door of the ward. With a glance back at Celeste—her eyes clouded with barely concealed annoyance—Damien clenched his jaw. Why did Adrian keep siding with her? This wasn’t the first time.

Adrian placed his hand on the door handle and cracked it open slightly, peering through the narrow gap. His father was indeed undergoing acupuncture. The slow, steady rise and fall of his chest showed that he was simply asleep, not unconscious.