Chapter 485 The Secret
Withal had been wrestling with a question for some time, and he finally decided to pose it to Catherine.
“Catherine, you’re not a doctor, so how did you determine that Bert died from heart failure?” he inquired.
Catherine, who had never performed an autopsy herself, had relied on the outward signs of the body to deduce the cause of death. Even the chief attendant, who had witnessed her assessment, couldn’t help but be amazed.
“Catherine is truly remarkable!” he thinks.
In response to Withal’s question, Catherine, who was leaning against Branden, groggy and half-asleep, gave her answer.
“Well, when waiting for the test results, I flipped through some medical books out of sheer boredom,” she said.
Upon hearing this, Withal couldn’t resist giving Catherine a thumbs-up.
It was evident that she was a top-notch expert, effortlessly surpassing others with her remarkable insights.
Withal chose to remain silent, and he didn’t want to pursue the matter further. He felt that pressing on would only be an affront to himself.
The following afternoon, Catherine was once again summoned.
She headed to the palace.
Bert had passed away, but the mysterious illness hadn’t ceased. Another royal member had been assigned for experimentation and analysis.
This new member’s mother held a higher maternal status within the royal family than Bert’s mother did, so initially, he wasn’t the first choice.
No one had anticipated that Bert would pass away so quickly, and thus, this new member had to fill his position.
When Catherine met Henry, she found his condition to be quite dire. It wasn’t that his illness was more severe than Bert’s, but his emotional state was in tatters, on the brink of collapse.
The torment of his ailment and the mental pressure had accelerated the deterioration of his physical condition.
After examining him, Catherine found that, apart from the emotional stress, the rest of his symptoms were identical to Bert’s.
Catherine had been there for two days already, and there was no improvement to report. Those who had been keeping a close eye on her couldn’t help but indulge in gossip.
“Oh, I thought these self-proclaimed top global biologists were extraordinary. It turns out they’re just using the title of ‘Doctor’ to pull the wool over everyone’s eyes!”
“You see! When it truly comes down to it, she can’t handle it!”
Catherine paid no attention to the idle chatter.
Her expression remained cold and distant, like an island of serenity amid turmoil. Just as she had finished her examination and turned around, Henry suddenly convulsed, frothing at the mouth.
It seemed that he was on the brink of death. The attendants were in a panic, urgently calling upon various experts, mystics, and even energy healers to try and save him.
However, various healers, charlatans, and even Reiki therapists all made their appearances, but they were all equally helpless, providing no solutions.
Henry was in a state of complete breakdown, overwhelmed by anxiety. His eyes bulged, and he stared at the onlookers in terror, his pleas barely audible.
“Please, save me, please…”
It was a heart-wrenching scene.
Were all these people just going to stand by and watch his life slip away before their eyes?
Finally, Catherine took action.
She stepped forward with a commanding presence that compelled the experts surrounding Henry to part and make way for her.
Catherine knelt by Henry’s side and, in full view of everyone, began to unbutton his shirt. Henry’s servants attempted to rush forward to stop her, but Withal intervened directly.
One of them shouted, “Release His Highness! You lowly woman, you’re not allowed to touch His Highness’s noble body.”
In Ravenloth, it was still an era of monarchy, and as a result, the deeply ingrained concepts of male dominance and female subservience held significant sway.
There were strict rules against women touching a man’s chest or anything above it.
If this rule was violated, it was believed that the man would face ill fortune, and the woman responsible would face execution.
After understanding the situation, Catherine cast a cold, disdainful glance at the servant who had attempted to intervene.
She questioned him in a frosty tone, When His Highness’ life is hanging by a thread, are you still concerned about his fate? Is that a joke?”
The servant was momentarily stunned by Catherine’s words. As Catherine had pointed out, Henry’s life was on the line, and at a time like this, adhering to antiquated customs was utterly futile.
Catherine had no time for further discussion with the servant. She unbuttoned Henry’s shirt, revealing his emaciated chest.
Simultaneously, she withdrew a silver needle she had carried with her. After returning home the previous night, she shared her research findings with Mr. Theo and sought advice on treating the ailment.
When she arrived at the palace today, she had brought the silver needles with her, not expecting that they would be put to use so quickly.
The onlookers watched Catherine’s actions anxiously. As she inserted one silver needle after another with precision into the acupuncture points, Henry’s condition appeared to improve.
Witnessing Henry’s transition from labored breathing to gradual relief and a less pallid complexion was a relief for everyone.
Several minutes later, Henry was able to speak slowly.
His consciousness was returning, and upon seeing Catherine, he recognized her. Yesterday, when Catherine made her appearance, he had been present and knew her identity.
Gratefully, he looked at her and said, Thank you, Doctor.”
Catherine remained unresponsive, wearing an aloof expression as she carefully put away the needles.
Those who had mocked her earlier now felt the sting of embarrassment as they witnessed her capabilities.
However loudly they had laughed before, the current situation left them utterly mortified.
Many among them wished the ground could have swallowed them now!
The chief attendant immediately reported this situation to the king. The king personally summoned Catherine and invited her to the stage.
“Doctor, I heard you used a mysterious acupuncture technique to save my nephew?”
The king, despite being related to Henry as his uncle, was anxious.
“Doctor, have you discovered the secret to unraveling this mysterious ailment?”
The strange illness had already caused panic among the entire royal family and had significantly impacted external trade with Ravenloth Palace.
This had the king in a state of urgency. After all these days, Catherine was the first one who seemed reliable.
With just a few simple needles, she had successfully cured Henry.
It seemed their extensive efforts in searching for the right person worldwide had not been in vain.
In the king’s presence, Catherine maintained a cold and indifferent demeanor, treating everyone with the same expression except those close to her.
Regardless of the person’s social standing, she remained impartial.
“No, Your Majesty. Right now, I can only seal his meridians to prevent blood circulation. But to fully identify the cause, I need time,” she replied.
Through her study of Bert’s blood, Catherine discovered that the pathogenic factors resided within it.
The most effective way to prevent complications during an outbreak was to inhibit blood circulation.
Given the risks involved, Catherine had reached out to Mr. Theo the previous night to learn acupuncture techniques to minimize these risks.
Although the king seemed disappointed by Catherine’s response, she was the only one who had given him a glimmer of hope after all these days. He still had faith in her.
“Very well, Doctor. I’ll give you the time you need. I just hope you can resolve this issue as soon as possible,” the aging king said.
There was a hint of resignation in his expression.
Catherine raised an eyebrow, her dark, penetrating eyes revealing a cold and distant countenance. With an air of nonchalance, she nodded.
