As Asher stepped further into the room, his brows raised at seeing Naida's condition.
She lay in bed, covered with a thick bedsheet, her face alarmingly pale and sickly. Despite the cool air in the room, she appeared to be sweating profusely.
"Devils…you don't look good," Asher commented, his voice laced with worry as he closed the door behind him.
Naida managed a weak smile in response, "I definitely have looked better," she quipped, her spirit still evident despite her weakened state.
Asher, slightly taken aback by her ability to still look bright, moved closer to examine her, "The poison is still inside your body. Why didn't you tell any of us?" he asked, his tone a mix of concern and disappointment.
Naida shook her head slightly, "I'll be fine," she assured him, "By tomorrow, my body will fight off the poison," Her voice was soft, but there was a hint of her usual strength in it. Then, with a wry smile, she added, "Other than that, I didn't want to lose face by looking like this before everyone."
"You can't just—" Asher began, but Naida cut him off, her expression becoming slightly serious,
"But to be honest, I didn't want you all to see me in such a weak condition. The last thing you people need is to have your morale lowered. I have a responsibility to stand strong always, especially before you, the king."
Asher blinked in astonishment. Despite her physical weakness, her resolve as the most senior figure in the ship and sense of duty remained as firm as ever.
However, he insisted, "Forget about responsibility and all for now. Let me help you, especially since you got injured while trying to protect me. There is not even any guarantee you will be alright by tomorrow, nor is there a reason for you to keep enduring this for so long."
Asher knew Boragor's poison must be quite potent because of his strength, and Naida's body would surely take a lot of time to get rid of it on its own.
Naida started to shake her head, ready to refuse his help, but Asher interjected with a serious look, "As your king, I am ordering you to listen to me," he stated firmly.
Asher didn't know if she would listen since even if he was king in name, he didn't really have the power to order a lady of a great house unless it was something that concerned the entire kingdom.
Naida let out a sigh, a weak smile playing on her lips, "I've never met such an assertive king," she said, the light tone of her voice belying the gravity of her condition, "You're not really giving me a choice here, are you?"
Saying so, she attempted to raise herself, her movements were sluggish and strained. Asher quickly stepped in to assist her. He gently grasped her wrist and supported her neck with his other hand, "Let me," he said softly as he helped her sit up on the bed.
"Thank you," Naida whispered, her smile light yet grateful. She then turned to show her back to him, "I already cleaned the wound myself, but... the poison is still coursing through my veins. How do you plan to help me?"
Asher could see that she was wearing a thin red robe, and on her back were several healing patches, evidence of her attempt to treat her own wounds.
Asher explained his plan, "I can't guarantee it, but I can use the power of my flames to burn away the poison in your body. However, it will require you to let me access your mana circuit, as the poison is clogging it."
Naida raised her eyebrows in surprise, "You want to access my mana circuit?" she asked, her voice tinged with subtle disbelief, "You must already know that even the slightest miscalculation when doing anything to my mana circuit could be life-threatening for me."
Asher nodded, his expression solemn, "I'm aware of how sensitive this matter is. That's why I want you to trust me with this. I may not be a physician officially, but I give you my word that I won't make things worse."
In his mind, Asher felt a tinge of doubt, wondering if she would actually trust him, a junior with barely a few years of experience with such a critical and risky procedure. It would be no different than trusting a child to do brain surgery.
Naida hummed lightly and responded with a brief smile, "Since you're so confident about it, I'll trust you with my body. Wouldn't it be shameful of me if I can't put faith in my king?"
Asher, taken aback by her agreement, felt a mix of responsibility and determination. He wasn't really expecting her to agree just like that.
Were all respected individuals of the kingdom truly this devoted to the crown? He felt he had yet to understand the mentality of these people.
Asher then gently asked, "Could you lower your dress so I can begin the treatment?"
Naida gave a soft nod, understanding the necessity of the request.
With a slight grimace, she carefully parted her thin red robe from the front, letting it slide down her smooth shoulders to reveal her bare back while maintaining her modesty by hugging the bedsheet to cover her front.
Her back, exposed to Asher, was shapely and striking, even with the gruesome claw-shaped injuries marring the pristine skin.
As Asher removed the medicinal patches to get a clearer view of the wounds, he found himself momentarily captivated by the elegance of her form.
The curve of her back that extended towards her loin held a certain grace while her skin was riddled with droplets of sweat. And the rosy scent coming off her body was sweet to the senses.
Naida, sensing the silence, turned her head slightly and asked, "Is it looking quite ugly? You don't have to stare at it if it's too unsightly."
Asher quickly snapped out of his thoughts, focusing back on the task at hand.
He couldn't believe he got distracted in a situation like this. He realized he embarrassed her or maybe offended her by staring like that.
He reassured her with a comforting smile, "Of course, not. I was just assessing the extent of your injuries. I'm going to start now. Let me know if it starts to hurt too much."
Asher's concentration intensified as he closed his eyes and placed his hands on Naida's back, tuning into the task at hand.
His hands began to emit a subtle dark green glow, indicative of his energy seeping into her body.
Naida, feeling the warm energy penetrating her skin, flinched slightly at the unfamiliar sensation, her cheeks gradually flushing a reddish hue from the heat slowly spreading into her body.
Despite the sensations, Naida remained silent, allowing Asher to continue his focused efforts.
Asher's energy methodically spread throughout her body, targeting the remnants of Boragor's poison in her bloodstream.
He had been cautious in making any promises about the effectiveness of this treatment, not knowing whether the strength of his energy was enough to destroy the poison of a peak Soul Devourer.
However, as his energy coursed through her, he sensed that the poison had already been somewhat weakened by Naida's own defenses.
But by then, the poison had managed to successfully suppress her defenses.
He realized he had intervened at a crucial time, just before the poison could have potentially rebounded with greater strength.
Carefully, Asher guided his energy to obliterate the remaining traces of poison, particularly around her vital organs.
When his energy reached Naida's mana circuit, he was especially gentle, almost caressing it with his power to avoid causing any harm.
The sensation of Asher's energy moving so delicately over her mana circuit elicited a soft moan from Naida, "Mnn..."
Her lips parted briefly in response to the gentle touch, and her cheeks deepened in color, slightly taken aback by the profound effect of his treatment.
But her eyes were blinking in surprise as she could feel herself getting better.
Asher slowly opened his eyes and removed his hands, watching as Naida's wounds began to close before his eyes.
A smile of satisfaction and relief spread across his face, "I succeeded. It's finally over. You should be feeling back to normal within a few minutes," he said, pleased with the outcome.
Naida smiled, her complexion noticeably brighter than before and rosy as if she had just taken a hot, refreshing bath.
She gracefully pulled her dress back up, the red fabric sliding over her now-healing back, and tied her robe at the front, "I am quite impressed. I wasn't really expecting you to completely destroy the poison with such ease and precision. It didn't even hurt. How did you learn to do all this? Even the expert physicians I know will be impressed you can do this at such a young age," she remarked, genuinely curious.
Asher softly chuckled at her words, "Fortunately, I have the talent to quickly pick up things," he replied with a side smile.
"That is quite some talent, one anyone would be envious of," Naida said, her tone conveying a mix of admiration and slight jest.
She then looked at him with a sense of gratitude, "I feel like I owe you, since you helped even if you didn't have to. If you need any favor, you can always ask me," she offered warmly.
Asher, however, shook his head in response, "I'm the one who owes you a lot, and this was the least I could do to repay you," he said sincerely.
Naida leaned forward, her smile radiant, "I've never felt more glad that someone like you became our king. I knew our queen didn't make a hasty decision, unlike how some believe," she expressed, her eyes reflecting appreciation.
However, in that moment, Asher's focus wavered.
Earlier, as she leaned forward, he caught a brief glimpse of her cleavage, accentuated by the thin red robe that wrapped around her curvaceous bosom.
And the absence of her innerwear allowed him to see her nipples poking against the soft fabric of her dress.
Her rosy, luscious lips curved into a smile as she talked, drawing his attention.
Before he fully comprehended his actions, he found himself leaning in, letting his lips latch onto her soft lips in a spontaneous gesture.
