Under the Heiress' Facade



The room fell into a brief silence once Hera finished speaking.

Hera's intuition told her that the man before her was no longer the same young lad in the past. He was sick and violent, which made him dangerous.

She didn't want a conflict with such a dangerous person before her revenge was taken, nor would she fall for his overtures.

"Okay, but don't pretend you don't know me anymore!" Bernard stepped forward and caressed Hera's head. "You've grown up."

Hera was speechless.

When she was a child, Bernard used to caress her head and call her a cuddle bunny when she snuggled into his arms. She would always exclaim with a giggle, "I like Uncle Bernard the most!"

"Uncle Bernard!" Hera turned her head away in annoyance.

Then, she took out a tiny black medicine bottle from the side pocket of her dress and handed it to Bernard. "Don't hold it in. Spit it out and take this. I'll check on you over the weekend."

Bernard's eyes flashed with surprise. He agreed to Hera's deal just to keep in contact with her and didn't expect her to actually treat him. It was because even the world's best doctors couldn't do anything about his illness.

He knew Hera had some medical skills since she had saved his life at the border and stopped his bleeding in time. He just didn't expect her medical skills to be so advanced that she could tell his condition at a glance.

Bernard took the medicine, glanced at his watch, and reminded her, "You can still make it to the second half of the entrance exam now."

Hera paused. She almost forgot about that! Immediately, she turned and left.

Once the ward door closed, Bernard spat out a mouthful of blood. The composure he had been trying to maintain collapsed instantly. Red blood stains hung at the corner of his mouth against his pale, handsome face.

"Bernard!" Douglas and Johnson Chime pushed the door in. Seeing this scene, they rushed over to help Bernard.

Bernard stared at the blood on his hand with a sinister look in his eyes. He understood Hera's wariness against the Killian family because they were the ones who had caused his illness.

"It's okay. Bring me a glass of water." He wiped the blood-stained black medicine bottle clean with a wet tissue.

Johnson spotted the medicine bottle and wanted to grab it for a look but failed. He anxious. "Bernard, where did you get the medicine? Are you taking random medicine behind my back?"

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Bernard rinsed his mouth with water and said, "The young lady gave it to me."

Johnson was confused.

"That one just now?" Douglas thought of something. "Wait! Don't take it—"

Bernard's Adam's apple bobbed as he swallowed the medicine.This content © Nôv/elDr(a)m/a.Org.

"Bernard, how could you take the medicine she gave you? Have you forgotten how you tried to strangle her just now? Aren't you afraid she might have given you poison to get back at you?"

Douglas was so anxious that he wanted to put his finger into Bernard's mouth to make him spit the medicine out. Unfortunately, he dared not because he wasn't Bernard's match. Bernard answered, "No."

"Oh no! Johnson, hurry and check on him. He's lost his mind and even forgotten basic safety knowledge."

Not receiving Johnson's response, Douglas looked back, only to see Johnson scrutinize and smell the empty medicine bottle. It seemed that he even wanted to lick it.

"Have you been infected?" Douglas slapped Johnson on the back to stop his disgusting behavior.

"Calm down. It smells of a calming herb and some other medicinal ingredients. It should be medicine specifically for headaches," Johnson explained.

"Bernard, how do you feel now?" He pushed up his thick glasses and looked at Bernard.

Bernard sat on the chair with his eyes closed, his good-looking face calm. A mysterious power seemed to have smoothed his usually tensed nerves, allowing them to relax.

Listening to Bernard's steady breathing, Douglas and Johnson glanced at each other.

"Asleep?" Douglas asked softly.

Johnson nodded.

Then, the two left quietly.

Bernard had been suffering from a sleep disorder due to his illness. He couldn't have fallen asleep in a sitting position unless he was unconscious. It showed the effectiveness of Hera's medicine.

Although it was gratifying, Douglas reckoned there needed to be a backup plan. "Have you gotten hold of Dr. Shadow?" he asked.

The miracle doctor, Shadow, was the top figure on Divine Forum. Divine Forum was an international medical exchange network that gathered leading genius doctors from all over the world. It was a dominant network recognized by the medical community.

Shadow was a mysterious figure Bernard had been looking for. He was an expert in alternative medicine with superb medical skills. He had published many academic papers that had caused a sensation in the medical community.

However, nobody could dig up information about Shadow. Hence, some doubted he was a virtual mascot fabricated by the website.

Johnson was sure about Shadow's existence because he had interacted with Shadow on Divine Forum. Shadow was his idol who had given him plenty of useful advice.

"Not yet. He rarely goes online. The last time was three months ago. He recently said he wouldn't take consultations," Johnson answered.

"We need to find him as soon as possible. Bernard's illness is getting worse," Douglas urged. Johnson uttered, "I know."