**Chapter 2**
"Hey, come on! Are you trying to make me cry?" Lucian chuckles, finally understanding why Callum brought him here without saying a word. But thinking about his predecessor reminds him of how stingy he was—always opting to sleep off an illness instead of heading to the apothecary for some medicine.
Honestly, dealing with someone like that could be a bit stressful!
Still, knowing he had a good friend like Callum in this new world made Lucian want to leap up and give him a big hug to show his gratitude. But when he tried, his body seemed to protest, as if saying, "Hey, take it easy! Let me heal first, okay?"
"Hey, it's totally fine if you want to cry! Who knows, maybe those tears will wash away some of that stinginess," Callum said with a grin, happy to see Lucian laughing. He didn't want to lose a good friend over something so trivial. "So, how about we head to the apothecary now? Oh, and just a heads up—I mentioned your condition to Miss Diana last night, so if she shows up and starts asking a million questions, I apologize in advance!"
"Wait, Aunt Diana is here too? But her perfume shop is on the main street! Why would she come here and risk losing business?" Lucian asked, a bit impatiently. Diana had been a guiding light for him, especially since he didn't have much of a family growing up.
At first, she was so kind and gentle, but as he got older, her affection started to feel a bit... different. It was too strong to call it obsession, but he couldn't shake the feeling that something was off.
"What are you talking about, Lucy? She's just worried about you, which is why she came here! Come on, you can't just stand out in the hot sun with those wounds," Callum said quickly, noticing Lucian's hesitation, and gently pulled him into the quaint little apothecary.
This area was mostly for soldier training, so it wasn't too busy unless there was a tournament or something exciting happening.
The old apothecary didn't seem to be thriving either; there were hardly any passersby, and Lucian had no idea this place even existed until Callum brought him here.
They stopped in front of the rustic door, and Callum knocked twice, smiling at Lucian as he called out, "Miss Angela, I've brought my friend!"
After a moment, the creaky wooden door opened, and a woman appeared, making Lucian's heart skip a beat.
She had long black hair, beautiful deer-like eyes, and her earrings swayed gently as if dancing in the breeze.
"Um, if you're done staring, shall we head inside?" Callum teased, noticing Lucian's gaze lingering on Miss Angela. Realizing he was caught, Lucian cleared his throat and said, "Sorry about that, I just got a little lost in your beauty for a moment."
If he were still on Earth, he would never have dared to say something so cheesy, but this world felt different, and his predecessor had a knack for charming words.
Lucian was curious to see how she would react, but it wasn't what he expected.
With a slight blush, Angela simply nodded and stepped inside, while Callum, who had been watching, burst into laughter and said, "We're here to get you treated, right? But if you want to propose to my sister-in-law, I won't mind waiting outside while you two have a moment alone."
"Sister-in-law? Whose sister-in-law? Stop joking and help me get inside," Lucian replied, trying to keep a straight face.
"Ugh, that's such a boring response," Callum pouted, but he helped Lucian inside anyway.
As soon as they entered the cozy apothecary, the scent of herbs and medicines filled the air. Callum immediately scrunched up his nose, but Lucian found the smell oddly pleasant.
The shop, which looked small from the outside, was divided into three sections. The first part had a rectangular table, and behind it was a wooden shelf filled with porcelain bottles. There were two closed doors on either side of the shelf.
Angela, standing in front of the shelf, had her eyes down for a moment.
But as Lucian and Callum walked in, she turned toward them, picked out two vials from the shelf, and placed them on the table. Looking at Lucian with determination, she said, "I'm going to treat your wounds, so please take off your shirt."
Lucian was a bit surprised by her sudden confidence, but he smiled and handed his sword to Callum before taking off his loose white shirt. As he did, he couldn't help but curse Adam in his mind for what he had done to his poor predecessor. "Damn it, who attacks someone over false accusations? What a jerk!"
Meanwhile, Angela, now in her professional mode and trying to ignore Lucian's earlier compliment, gasped slightly at the sight of his wounds. She had never seen such brutality before, though she had mostly treated minor ailments until now.
"These wounds will heal quickly, right, Miss Angela?" Lucian asked, reading her expression. He glanced at Callum, who seemed focused on his own thoughts, likely about the official hunt coming up in three days.
Just then, the door swung open, and a woman in a striking red dress walked in, exclaiming, "Callum, didn't I tell you to take him to the apothecary on the main street? Why did you bring him here instead?"
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